Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 701: Voruth’Zals Goal

Astrelya hovered in the air. Her expression was one of pure, untainted bliss. The blush on her face akin to a young maiden experiencing her first love.

Despite the ghastly wound on her chest, she closed her eyes to savour this emotion.

The rivers of time have long since frozen her heart. No pleasure stirred her, no pain moved her.

Her world dulled to a grey.

She lost everything that gave her world colour.

But now, the passion, the possibilities, have thawed this cage of apathy that had entombed her soul. Once more, she could feel life in her veins.

A spark, a heartbeat.

Finally, she's obtained a new target for her affection.

Across from her, Alice stood still, frowning.

The realm that Astrelya had constructed, one of starlight and the stellar sea was collapsing around them. Through the gaps, they could now see the fortress of Zhenha.

Astrelya made no move to attack and Alice wanted to believe that she finally satisfied this eccentric Lord. That this monstrous girl was content, for now.

But no satisfaction stirred in her chest. Only dread.

Her eye traced the wound that she left on Astrelya's chest. The way it slowly vanished, how the flesh folded in on itself, skin stitching shut as though time was rewinding on the damage done.

By her calculations, this shouldn't be possible.

That last slash. . . It was unleashed with the intention of stopping the regeneration of a Lord through corruption. The space her body 'occupied' should've been fragmented, her form disrupted by several layers of energy. Corruption that ate away at the flesh, stopping the regeneration.

Yet that didn't happen.

The wound regenerated all the same.

'I think this IS her hindered regeneration. The original speed is just insane.' Alyss spoke out with a slight frown.

Hell, even the mutations were being driven back.

Alice's breath faltered for a moment. She took a closer look and saw that Eldritch energy was indeed working, corroding and fighting Astrelya's regeneration.

But it simply couldn't keep up.

'Do you think. . .' Alice furrowed her brows. 'It's a contract with an Outer God? To gain some form of resistance to Eldritch energy?'

If not, Alice couldn't see how Astrelya could achieve this kind of result. However, even if this was the most likely theory, Alice couldn't sense a speck of Eldritch power from Astrelya.

It was completely Abyssal in nature.

Once her wounds have healed, Astrelya glanced down and clenched her fist a few times to make sure it was fine.

Then she looked up at Alice and smiled.

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Before Alice could even say anything, Astrelya was already in front of her. One blink and the space between them was crossed, bypassing her Zone!

Alice's pupil constricted. Much like Kaine, Astrelya also had a method of bypassing the Zone! To deceive one's senses even though she was right in front of her!

Astrelya reached out with her arms as Alice tried her best to prepare a Void bomb. To return things back to zero and erase Abyss energy for a moment.

But the attack never appeared. Instead, Astrelya hugged her.

"Eh?"

A tight embrace wrapped around Alice. Warm and uncomfortably firm, one that Alice couldn't shake off.

"Ahhh! How did you do it?" Astrelya sang in a delighted tone, spinning the split haired girl in her arms around like a child with her favourite doll. "How did you bypass that attack with just five Sigils? There's Abyssal. . . Eldritch, Void running around in this tiny body of yours. And what's with all those Resonances? One from Sigils, one from that artifact of yours and another from the harmonization of energy. As expected of my darling~"

Alice was struck by sheer bewilderment.

There were no signs of hostility or flowing energy. No killing intent.

Astrelya was simply excited and happy.

But most surprising of all, despite the lack of energy, her physical power was monstrously high. Alice felt like she was being tossed around like a ragdoll, unable to fight back.

If she was any weaker, Alice felt like her neck might've snapped from the force being applied to her body right now.

"Ahh~ So many things I want to do with you. But. . . *Sigh, your full attention isn't on me. You're breaking my poor heart~" Astrelya lamented, letting Alice go.

Quickly jumping back, Alice watched as Astrelya rest her cheek on her palm.

"My dear, what's on your mind?" She asked, her voice soft and intimate. "During the fight you didn't put your all into it, and it doesn't seem like it's something we can deal with immediately."

Alice's smile twitched.

How can a woman go from unleashing an attack that could kill her to talking as though they were a couple.

"Before that, can you tell me why you were even in the fortress? If you were looking for a fight to entertain yourself, can't you just fight against other Lords or hell, even Apostles if you're stronger than average Lords?"

"My dear, I've already told you before. Normal Lords can't satisfy me, they have too many things going on in their heads to give me the fight I want." Astrelya shook her head with a pout. "Apostles. . .Well, either I get killed quickly or by chance I win, their Gods will be after my neck. That's not the kind of transcendent death that I want."

"W-wait! There Is. . . One I guess. But don't misunderstand my dear! I'm not cheating on you okay?" Astrelya panicked with Alice holding back the urge to facepalm.

"Though this is no place for us to talk, I'll get embarrassed if people see me fawning over you my dear. At the end of the day, I'm still a Lord." Astrelya squirmed with embarrassment.

Alice sighed and looked up at the sky. It was going to be a long. . . long day.

###

Suyin sat stiffly at the table within Fortress Zhenha.

In the past week, she has seen many things she never thought possible. Her thoughts and common sense had been rewritten. Theories shattered, experiments showing her the new ceiling of power.

Even strange beasts not of their world, the corruptive properties of their blood.

And at the source of it all, the catalyst for these changes and discoveries, is Alice.

A split haired girl housing four different energies. A miracle of life itself and a walking calamity. One that can somehow casually ascend to the realm of Lord.

Yet it seems like breaking Suyin's common sense once wasn't enough for her. No, every time Suyin thinks things can't possibly get worse or perhaps 'better'? Alice decides to one up her.

To prove her wrong.

To shatter her common sense once more.

On her right, Jin was speechless.

On her left, Isolde watched with the same smile as always yet Suyin could see the sweat on her neck. Not even Isolde knew how to react in this situation.

And as for the scene in front of her. . .

Alice was sat down in a chair with Astrelya sitting on her thighs. The Lord of stars was kicking her legs back and forth in giddiness while trying to feed Alice some food.

Meanwhile, Alice stared blankly as though she was a dead fish. Not even she knew what was going through Astrelya's head.

"My dear are you not hungry? Hmm, perhaps I should make something for you to eat instead." Astrelya tilted her head.

"Please don't. But can we please get back on track?" Alice was almost begging as Astrelya was pretty much lost in her own world. Her own fantasy.

Yet she was the best source of information that they could get right now.

Seeing Alice speak to a Lord like this, Suyin didn't dare to make a single sound.

"Fineee~ If you say so my dear. The one who convinced me to wait at this fortress is Voruth'Zal, the Outer God responsible for this invasion." Astrelya pouted as she hopped off from Alice.

"What he desires is simple. It's not territory, not power. You can't even say he wants to wipe you guys out. What he wants is casualties." Astrelya took a look at the map that Suyin laid out.

"He wants as many casualties as possible on both sides. Either at your fortress or the battle in the south. He even wanted my corpse on the off chance that my dear fulfils my desires and fights me with all her heart. But her love is turned elsewhere right now." Astrelya shed a silent tear.

No one responded.

Not phased by the silence, Astrelya continued.

"Kazzie is being helped by him. Apparently to make a suitable vessel since her current body is falling apart."

"Wait, Kazzie? Who's that?" Jin asked curiously.

"Kazira, Apostle of War. I was tempted to ask her for a fight when I heard that she lost the favour of her God. But her focus is entirely on my darling here. She wants you dead more than anything." Astrelya clarified. "She won't be able to give me the Elysium I desire."

Listening to this, Alice folded her arms.

Voruth'Zal wants casualties? Why?

And more than that, he wanted Astrelya's corpse? Was it so that Kazira could have a vessel? If her form is falling apart, she won't be able to put up a proper fight.

If so, a vessel is absolutely necessary.

"Wouldn't he be complaining that you didn't fight me to the death? Or that no casualties occurred because we began to fight." Alice asked curiously but Astrelya shook her head.

She saw on the table facing Alice.

"My death would've been preferable but not an absolute. He received quite a few high quality casualties a while ago apparently." Astrelya shrugged.

While her collaboration with Voruth'Zal was a temporary one, he didn't seem to mind the fact that she was overhearing a lot of his conversations.

Meanwhile, Alice froze after hearing Astrelya's words.

High quality casualties. . .

The massacre she caused against the Zenia's in the Void.