Abyssal Awakening

Chapter 1049: The First ’Anomaly’

"Nyerrr!" A girl tugged at Nyer’s sleeves while he was reading a book.

"Nyer!" She cried out for a second time, frustration appearing on her face as he finally put the book down and glanced up at the girl.

"What is it?"

"What’s a Void Born? I was watching Feris’s memories and they said she was a Void Born." The girl explained, pointing towards the sleeping Lady of the Void. In her current state, it wasn’t hard to take a peek into her memories and what she was thinking at this moment.

Despite being a Realm Ruler, she was completely defenceless. In fact, even a one Sigil Hunter could break into her mind right now with the right ability. That’s how open Feris was.

And with the girl and Nyer waiting for the mutation of the realm to finalise, she decided to pass her time by looking into Feris’s past.

"Void Born huh... That’s a term not many would know of anymore." Nyer crossed his legs.

Tapping the spot next to him, he invited the girl to sit down while giving Feris a brief glance.

While this wasn’t something the girl needed to know, considering her eventual fate, it was still good to pass the time.

"When the Abyss refuses to grant a bounty, why do you think that is so?" He asked as the girl tapped her chin.

"Because the Will doesn’t like them?"

"Partially. While the Will can indeed hinder the Bounty system to some degree, he cannot outright reject someone from being given one. A consequence of the past I suppose." Nyer smirked. Though he knows the reason behind it was actually because of Velouria.

"When the Abyss cannot grant a bounty, there are usually two situations in which this occurs. First, their soul is ’full’." Nyer held up a finger.

"Full?" The girl tilted her head as he nodded.

"Full. There is a reason why you and your sister are very unique and special compared to the rest of the world. For the normal person, being able to use two different kinds of energy could already be classified as talent.

"Abyssal and Holy, Abyssal and Void Or Abyssal and Eldritch. Accepting a second means you’re splitting your soul in half in order to tap into the power.

"Say your soul is made up of four sections, a minimum of two are required for any source. And even then, it’s pushing your capacity to the limit. The burden of an extra source of power has caused many to explode in the past because they couldn’t contain it." Nyer smiled.

This was especially the case when it came to Holy energy.

Holy energy could largely be explained as a blessing from the Three Gods. A system similar to the Abyssal bounties yet also somewhat different.

It was entirely dependant on the ’source’ of Holy energy. For most, this would be their faith towards the God and their acknowledgement.

If they’re not careful, the sudden influx of Holy energy could rupture every blood vessel in their body and give them a gruesome death.

Alternatively, for people like Alice who had their own ’source’ of divinity, they needed to regulate how much they’re willing to tap into it.

It was a delicate balance of trying to ensure the vessel wasn’t flooded while also keeping the sources of energy in check.

But if you add another source...

What would be a simple balancing act suddenly becomes a juggling act and one mistake would cause your death.

"Now, when I say that her soul is full, what I mean is that all four sections are already occupied and refuses to budge. For Feris, her entire being was marked by the Void. It left no room for the Abyss to intervene. Not even through vials of blood. But such a state is extremely hard to achieve." Nyer chuckled.

During her era, Feris was one of the few who were called Void Born. In other words, she was a candidate to become a Realm Ruler due to her constitution.

"If the first situation is being ’full’, what’s the second?" The girl asked curiously. She could understand why the Abyss wouldn’t be able to give bounties due to the first situation.

But what could the second one be for the Abyss to ’reject’ them?

"The second situation occurs due to certain factors with the main one being the Cogs." Nyer chuckled.

Through his dealings with Yvael in the past, he understood that the Cogs, while declaring themselves as neutral, actively intervene in order to reach the future they desire.

The black chains were an example of such. Interventions they make to reach their goal.

"So when there is an individual who shows great promise in a certain aspect, one that might upheave the scales of balance, the Cogs will step in and influence fate to prevent them from reaching that moment.

"I’ve seen a few cases of such in the past. A blacksmith who could’ve created weapons and armour that rejected the natural order. A diviner who could peer deeper into fate than even Yvael should she be allowed to gain power. A genius who could wrap the world in metal, creating giant monstrosities of machine. All of them had their paths denied as the Abyss refused to grant them a single bounty.

"All because the Cogs deemed it too dangerous." Nyer smiled.

When it came to his experiments, the Cogs were one of his greatest barriers that he must surpass or else his experiments would never reach fruition. It’s why the previous prototypes of ’Alice’ had their vessels shattered after a certain moment.

It’s as though their fate was doomed the moment he was too deeply involved.

However, by keeping himself away, by pushing variables towards that singular experiment, a miracle like Alice could be born.

An anomaly with a fate that the Cogs had no choice but to accept.

Even though the Cogs recognised the danger, they couldn’t do anything about it. Messing with her fate would only cause a domino effect that would’ve upset the balance of the world.

It was too late for the Cogs to stop any of this. Just like how they didn’t place black chains upon his actions.

The variables that Nyer had introduced to the system has already pushed his own fate towards the direction he wanted.

In other words.

’Checkmate.’ Nyer narrowed his eyes. So many times he’s felt the Cogs attempting to stop his actions yet failing to do so.

For he has already wrapped himself in the protection of countless fates entwined into one being. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Much like how they couldn’t stop Alice, stopping him would also cause a domino effect of untold destruction. To which they could now only sit back and watch as the two convergence of fates spiral towards the singular climatic moment where the world is forever changed.

Whether or not Velouria is resurrected in full.

Whether or not his plans to destroy the laws binding this world would succeed.

"I see..." The girl mumbled, walking back to Feris’s side. Nyer was silent.

Even though Feris technically belonged to the first category of having her soul ’full’, she was also sabotaged by the Cogs.

To have one soul to be so dependant on the feeling of ’fulfilment’. To be willing to give up everything for either the Void or the one who occupies her mind.

Back then, the methods the Cogs employed for these Anomalies were... soft in some aspects. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Gentle even.

But Feris’s choices, the war she caused. The destruction she brought forth. The wrath that could not be extinguished no matter what. A rampage that continued even as the world continue to burn.

All of this caused the Cogs to take a more proactive approach when it comes to holding back anomalies they detect.

One could even say Feris was the first to cause the Cogs to worry. The first anomaly that almost ended the world.

And now, she lay here. Tears in her eyes as she was forced to relive her past. The realm mutating, her mind collapsing.

That lonely soul longing to find her other half only to bitterly fail time and time again.

’A pity...’ Nyer exhaled softly.

It was sympathy from one who had also lost so much. He understood Feris’s pain. Understood her longing, her loneliness. Her hatred towards the world and most importantly...

The sadness in her heart and the gaping Void that refused to be filled.

She thought she would be fulfilled by the Void only for the sacrifices to leave an even bigger hole.

Tilting his head back, Nyer looked towards the Void sky.

Even though he didn’t want to do this to her, especially due to their similar experiences, it was a step of the plan that couldn’t be skipped.

Like it or not, he had to force her to suffer.

Just like how she would make him suffer if it meant bringing back her love, he was doing the same to her.

And though they may be strangers, in another life, they might’ve been able to rant about their sadness towards each other. As two people who went through a similar suffering and understood each other’s pain well.

In this, he could only apologise to her.

However, once the world is reshaped under Velouria’s guidance, he will ensure that her soul is reunited with the one she lost. Even if it’s the last thing he does.

Taking a deep breath, Nyer glanced down at the book in his hands once more.

Meanwhile, the girl had seen the tiny shifts of Nyer’s expression. The pain he was hiding deep inside.

Though she didn’t know why, a part her soul felt pained by his expression. Pain that came from familiarity, one that she wasn’t aware of.

Somewhere deep down, something was waking up.