Chapter 688 |
Thud, thud, thud!!!
Using a Dimensional Key to open and forcefully close a dimension would undoubtedly cause a great deal of strain on the user. Manipulating it as one pleased was already impossible in the first place. So, Davey’s usage of the Dimensional Key at this point was akin to him revealing a hidden card that he had prepared ahead of time.
Perserque, who fell on the floor, gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she tried her best to shake off the pressure that was making it hard for her to breathe.
She struggled to get back on her feet, hacking and coughing as she heaved deep, painful breaths. “Ugh… Cough… cough…”
Clang!!!
“Kyaaaaack! Madam!!!” Amy, the deputy administrator of the territory, exclaimed as she immediately ran to help Perserque, who had heard her.
“Ma-madam! Are you alright?!”
“I’m… I’m fine. What’s more important is Davey! How about Davey?!” Perserque cried out, her face a sickly shade of white.
What was she going to do with Davey? There was nobody in the Tionis Continent who could help her cross through dimensions without the Dimensional Key. Her only option was to use the earring she was wearing, which was crafted from materials dropped by the Malicious Spirits.
Perserque knew why Davey had sent her back to the Heins Territory, even though he knew it would put his own life in danger. It was because the situation in Alf Online was far too perilous. Yes, Davey made the decision to send her away after realizing the severity of the situation.
“N-no… Amy!” Perserque shouted as she hurriedly tried to stand up on her own. “Winley… What about Winley?”
“Princess Winley and Sir Hydro were already sent to their respective rooms a while ago. What in the world is happening?”
“Then, to the academy… Let’s go to the academy,” Perserque said as she kept trying to stand again despite it being difficult for her. She desperately needed help from someone who could immediately notice the abnormalities and dangers of the current situation.
Illyna was currently staying in the high school division at Heins' Academy. But her reason for staying was to sequester herself for her own safety, not to take any classes.
This was something Perserque did not actually like, but she was well aware that Davey’s casual acceptance of such an arrangement was due to the small feelings he harbored for Illyna and the sense of reluctance he had regarding her.
Who was to blame for her mischievous husband's attractiveness and the fact that many girls were smitten with him? But of course, that was not the main problem at hand.
“Mother! Here, try this!”
Perserque was only able to reach Illyna's lodging after repeatedly leaping through space and spending her mana until she was completely exhausted. While she would’ve typically informed Illyna of her visits beforehand and knocked on the door before entering, the current circumstances were so far from typical that she no longer had the leisure to care about such things.
“Huh? Sister Per?”
With doubts on their faces, Kain, who was innocently handing fruit over to his mother, and Illyna both turned to look at the pale-faced Perserque.
Looking at Kain and without so much of a preamble, Perserque proceeded to say, “Kain… Please, please tell me anything that you know about Eclipse.”
The innocent expression on Kain’s face turned stiff when he heard her words. “E…clipse? What do you mean?”
“I’m telling you! A Princess of the Abyss named Eclipse has appeared! Davey sent me back here, and he’s left there all alone!”
Kain’s expression had now turned completely cold and steely after hearing Perserque’s angry roars.
“Sister, wha-what do you mean? And Kain? You…”
“...Forgive me.”
A short silence rang as Kain clapped his hands. Then Illyna suddenly collapsed after it felt like the lodging was separated from the world.
“We cannot break the peace,” Kain murmured. He then helped Perserque up and asked, “Did you just say Eclipse?!”
“That’s right. That’s definitely what I heard.”
“...”
The brief silence brought anxiety to Perserque. Unable to stop herself, she raised her trembling hands and started to bite her nails.
“That can’t be… Eclipse should not have awakened now…”
“Make it easy for me to understand… I’m begging you, do not test my patience now…” Perserque, who was still as pale as ever, urged Kain.
She was usually easygoing and relaxed. In fact, no one would ever see her lose her composure, no matter what situation she was in. So for her to say those words, it meant that she was not lying.
Kain pondered over the terrifying name that appeared in the god’s memories that came as a revelation to him. Then he quietly said, “Eclipse… is a creature created by Goddess Freyja. Eclipse is the Lord of the Ancient Dragons.”
“Why is a creation from the goddess going after Davey?!”
Feeling helpless at the situation suddenly presented to him, Kain couldn’t help but raise his voice loudly as he replied, “She’s bound to go after him!!”
When both people were rendered helpless and unable to figure out what to do…
Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt!!!
The space was torn apart. Then a voice of someone rang, saying, “That’s right. You wouldn’t know it. After all, Ancient Dragons are believed to be extinct. However, there’s still one in existence.”
When Kain and Perserque turned their heads toward where the voice came from, they saw two women walking out of the rift that had opened. One was a black-haired woman with a huge book in her hand, while the other was a blue-haired woman in a military robe. They were none other than the Princesses of the Abyss—Verdandi and Isildi.
“Verdandi… Isildi…”
“You’re talking about Eclipse, right? No… It would be funnier if you would say no at this point when we have already felt such a huge shockwave like this,”Verdandi murmured to herself.
Meanwhile, Isildi just sighed and said, “I will make sure to kill that guy this time.”
When Perserque heard the remarks of the two women, she couldn’t help but clench her hands tightly into fists.
‘This is all because of me. This all happened because I’m here…’
She was the reason why Davey and the Abyss kept on clashing against each other.
Maybe it was because Perserque's thoughts were so evident in her expression that Verdandi approached her slowly and said, "I'll explain it to you in simpler terms. Eclipse is not one of the Princesses of the Abyss. She is an Ancient Dragon Lord, which is the most threatening existence to the Abyss. But now? The Abyss had encroached upon her.”
“...”
Kain nodded.
“Aside from you, she’s the only other being with the body that can accept and accommodate Lord Thanatos.”
Eclipse was one of the most formidable, dangerous and overwhelming monsters in the entire Abyss. She could even single-handedly pursue and drive the entire Abyss into a corner.
“But shouldn’t Eclipse be supposed to never come out of the Abyss?”
“A severe dispute involving the god's grace happened not too long ago. Maybe…” Verdandi murmured the rest of her words to herself before clicking her tongue in annoyance. “That ancient god that you awakened on earth with Davey… The other side of Neltarid must have gotten involved.”
Neltarid, the God of Harmony, had another side, which symbolized destruction, and it came into contact with the godless Abyss.
“Whatever is happening, there’s no turning back now. We have to find Daveyand bring him back.”
“How? Don’t leave me behind here,” Isildi said. Then she went on to declare with firm resolve, “I’ll make it clear for you. Even if you deem fighting useless, Eclipse is an entirely different matter. Do you think that the Princesses of the Abyss would have a different ending if she starts running amok, huh? You’ll be trampled on like a bug and end up dying under her feet. If we’re talking about the return of the god, then you should be talking about that bitch, no?”
The gods were magnificent and noble beings. But even with their limitless and omnipotent powers, they could not carelessly meddle in the affairs of the world. The only reason why Goddess Freyja could bestow Davey with a lot of things was because she was so high up in the hierarchy that she could disregard the restrictions placed upon her every so often.
With their hierarchy in shambles, the restrictions imposed on them had eased. But despite gaining more freedom to interfere, directly influencing or interfering in a world that was created by another god remained impossible.
But what if there was an existence that was not god but had a power that was comparable to one? Then that would be a literal disaster. This was like saying that one was in a constant state of possession for twenty four hours every single day.
“Where is Davey now?”
“In Alf Online. We went there to help Winley undergo Metamorphosis. It’s also where we met Eclipse.”
“Not only was she released from the Abyss, she was even sent to a virtual reality… It seems like Neltarid’s other half had truly summoned her there.”
Kain looked at Verdandi and Isildi with a stony expression on his face. Then he said, “What are the two of you going to do?”
“You… You’re not thinking of asking me to do something for you, right? I am a Princess of the Abyss. Do not forget that fact,” Isildi snapped.
“Ms. Verdandi.”
“...”
But unlike Isildi, Verdandi remained silent.
“No. This method will not work.” Verdandi clenched her fists. “I will support you from here while you go out there to help. If my assumptions are correct, then Eclipse would not be able to move to another dimension after being moved once.”
“So, after taking Davey out of that place, does that mean that we will still be safe for a while?”
“That’s right. Though, I am not sure about what would happen to earth. But that’s not a matter of concern to me, no?”
Isildi frowned when she heard Verdandi’s words.Then after pondering for a while, she said, “I’ll have to pay back my debts.”
Swoosh…
Isildi took out her silver sword, looking quite nervous. “I've never been this anxious before, not even when I was fighting Sleesia back then.”
Sleesia was a Princess of the Abyss of the highest caliber. But Eclipse was an entity that was incomparable, even for Sleesia. In fact, Eclipse was more like an absolute existence in the Abyss. If Eclipse was destroyed and killed, then it was safe to say that the Abyss would also fall to its end.
“Damn it… We should have looked for the Absolute Gem sooner,” Kain mumbled with a frown on his face.
But what they did not know was that Eclipse was more of a monster than they thought.
***
Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Boom!!!
With half of her light almost lost, Super Ribbon was now in a very precarious situation.
“Ugh!” Davey groaned.
After receiving multiple attacks from Eclipse, the most accurate description of his current state was that he was covered in blood. This was because every single one of her attacks felt like a missile dropkick, despite her small stature.
His consciousness then began to grow hazy as he fell on the sand. In fact, it could already be considered a miracle that he was still living and breathing in this situation, despite the fact that his body and soul were not in complete synchronization. After all, Eclipse was a disaster that no one could ever defy or stop. And that remained a fact until now.
“Hoo… Hoo… That holy… thing by your side… It’s Neltarid’s divinity, no?”
Hearing his weak murmurs, the girl approached Davey and squatted in front of him. With her chin propped primly on the palm of her hand, she looked at him.
“Wow! Brother! You’re so amazing! How did you know?” Eclipse asked innocently. She sounded as if she did not just fight with Davey and pummel him to the ground a few moments ago.
No. It was more accurate to say that it never occurred to her that Davey would ever be a threat to her. While the air and momentum of an overwhelmingly powerful existence might be infuriating to those they had trampled on, it was still the reality of the matter. Her power was simply on par with the people in the Hall of Heroes.
At this point, Davey had to retract his previous claims that it would take only one person from the Hall of Heroes to destroy the Abyss.If Eclipse, or this monstrous little thing that was squatting in front of him, was with the Abyss, then it might take a while for one person from the Hall of Heroes to defeat the Abyss.
Had Davey known that the Abyss was hiding a being as monstrous as the girl, he would have definitely prepared more thoroughly.
But even against a Princess of the Abyss as strong as, or even stronger than, Sleesia, Davey still had a way to defeat such an enemy. In fact, he still had plenty of ways to deal with greater threats, even if a wave of them came at him.
But the heart of the Abyss conspired with the other half of a god and brought out Eclipse. She was so overwhelmingly strong that she could easily block Davey’s plans and still have a smile on her face.
Right there and then, Davey had to figure out how he could beat her. But he knew that it was impossible at the moment. Even if he synchronized his body and soul, it still would not be possible. As a matter of fact, he was already fortunate to have raised the level of his soul before.
At the same time, a question echoed in his head: how was it possible for a being with such immense power to freely display and use it? Was it even allowed?
Since the thought had already formed in his head, Davey decided to just throw it to the wind and ask Eclipse herself while she was still easy to talk to.
“Brother, please keep playing with Eclipse.”
“Only if we can play something that’s more peaceful.”
“Hngghh… Then how about playing house?” Eclipse begged repeatedly.
“Why? So you can nag my soul off?[1]”
“Brother, don’t you want to know more about Eclipse? Eclipse really likes you, brother. You really smell familiar.”
Davey had to prepare to pay whatever price it would take to deal a severe blow to this fucking brat in front of him. But he didn’t have enough time because the situation happened far too suddenly. So he must buy time..
His Corona Destroyer could no longer induce any good effects because about half of its durability had been consumed after smashing it a few times. Longinus was also starting to lose its functions while Super Ribbon had lost half of its body. Naturally, the state of his other weapons were no different.
Davey felt like he was fighting an adult in a child’s body. In a situation like this, there was only one thing that he could do, and that was to call an adult to his side, even if it meant that he had to suffer and pay the price.
If Davey's assumption was right, then the girl in front of him was like the greatest enemy of the Abyss.
[There are five minutes until the cooldown for the Saint Title’s effects ends.]
“Really? Then let me ask you a question. What in the world are you? Why are you casually wielding power that has gone beyond the limits of this world?”
When Eclipse heard Davey’s question, she just tilted her head cutely.
“Power that goes beyond the limits of this world cannot exist in reality. It is bound to exist in an alternate reality, whether through the Hall of Heroes or some other way.”
She blinked slowly as if she could not understand the logic that Davey was explaining to her. Only after blinking a few more times did she look like she realized something. She then clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Aha! Eclipse thinks that she knows the answer!”
She proceeded to rummage around her clothes. Then she pulled out a necklace from which a leather pouch hung.
“Hehe… Eclipse’s friend Nelta gave this to me! With this, things wouldn’t be too hard for Eclipse!” Eclipse said as she took out a beautiful jasper-like gem.
It was so beautiful that just looking at it could make anyone feel like their soul was being taken away. It was a treasure that could easily arouse any instinctive greed in a person.
“Oh, fucking damn it.”
Davey had to admit this time that he was left stunned. Why? Because the gem in Eclipse’s hand was none other than the complete Absolute Gem. The object that Davey had painstakingly looked for. It was the gem that he could not find because he could not pinpoint its exact location. And it was also the only item that could end the war with the Abyss once and for all.
Meanwhile, on Earth.
The walls restricting the use of transcendental power in the earth began to gradually erode and collapse as a result of the clash of the power of the two gods on Earth.
And with the collapse of these walls, the gigantic being that had been sleeping in the depths of the Earth before—the enormous octopus tentacle that most people could only see as a green light—started to move slowly. This being, which was one with the Earth, had now completely opened its eyes.
1. The raw is 바가지 긁히다가 영혼까지 긁히겠네. This is a joke from the stereotypical image of a wife. Wives nag a lot, but Eclipse is so strong that Davey will end up being killed after the nagging. ☜
