Free Web NovelChapter 4: Chapter 4: Abyssal Union
"How does it feel?" Kaelen asked.
"Like ice," Seraphina gasped. "But the fire inside my veins... it’s fighting back. It hurts."
"It’s going to fight back," Kaelen said, keeping his hands firmly pressed against her bare collarbones. "The corruption doesn’t want to let you go. It’s been draining your mana for two weeks."
"Can you conquer it?" she asked, her golden eyes wide with desperate hope.
"I’m the abyss now," Kaelen replied smoothly. "Of course I can."
"Then don’t stop," she pleaded. "Take the rest of this broken armor off. Please."
"I thought a High Paladin never removes her armor in front of a man."
"I’m not a High Paladin right now," she whispered, hiding her blushing face behind her hands. "I’m just dying. Take off my clothes, Kaelen. Do whatever the system tells you to do."
Kaelen untied the tattered leather straps beneath her shattered chestplate. He threw the heavy garments aside, leaving her wearing only torn silk underwear. She shivered in the freezing temple air, but her skin was still radiating unnatural heat.
"Look at me," Kaelen ordered.
"I can’t," she whimpered. "It’s too embarassing..."
"Look at me, Seraphina."
She slowly lowered her trembling hands and looked into her eyes.
"There’s nothing shameful here," Kaelen said calmly. "The Church isn’t watching. The Inquisitors aren’t judging you."
"The World Tree sees everything," she whispered weakly.
"The World Tree is blind down here," Kaelen stated. "If the tree cared about you, it would have sent an angel to pull you out of this pit. But it didn’t. I did."
[System Alert. Resonance level: 10%. Superficial extraction is reaching its limit.]
[Requirement: Fluid exchange is necessary to breach the target’s core mana circuit.]
Kaelen read the floating violet text. A dark smile spread across his lips.
"The system requires more," Kaelen said.
"What else can I give?" she asked breathlessly.
"A kiss," Kaelen said. "Fluid exchange."
Seraphina blinked, her breath catching in her throat. "A kiss?"
"Does the Abyssal Saintess not know how to kiss?" Kaelen mocked gently.
"I was given to the Church orphanage when I five," she replied, her voice trembling. "I know how to pray. I know how to swing a greatswords. I know how to kill monsters."
"Then consider this as a new type of prayer," Kaelen said.
He leaned down and pressed his lips tightly to hers.
Seraphina let out a muffled gasp. She stiffened for a moment before a surge of relief overwhelmed her. As their lips met, a visible stream of thick purple mist flowed from her mouth directly into his.
Kaelen’s mana circuits roared to life. The taste of the corruption was intoxicating. It tasted like dark sweet wine and raw, unbridled power.
She kissed him back hungrily, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
[System Alert. Fluid exchange achieved. Resonance level: 40%.]
[Minor Stat Transfer Complete. Host gains +10 Strength. +10 Agility.]
Kaelen broke the kiss. He pulled back, panting slightly as the new stats blended with his muscles. He felt his biceps swell, the chronic weakness of his old life dissapearing.
"Your mana..." Seraphina whispered, her chest heaving. "It tastes like..." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
"Like what?"
"Like the void," she breathed out. "But it feels so safe."
"The void is the only thing protecting you from the World Tree’s failure right now," Kaelen said. He moved his hands down to her waist, gripping her hips.
"Kaelen," she gasped.
"I have to go deeper," Kaelen muttered. "The system says forty percent isn’t enough to complete the fourth stage. I have to reach your core."
"I know what that means," she sobbed softly.
"It will hurt," Kaelen warned. "You are completely untouched."
"I’ve been clawed by monsters," Seraphina argued weakly. "I’ve been poisoned by the void. I’ve had my bones broken by demons. I can handle it."
"This is different."
"Just do it, Kaelen!" she cried out as another spike of feverish heat wracked her lower body. "The fire’s return! Claim me before I lose my mind and turn into a beast!"
Kaelen didn’t hesitate. He stripped away the last of their ruined clothing.
"Remember this moment," Kaelen said, positioning himself above her.
"I will," she swore, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"Remember who is saving you. Remember who you belong to, now."
"I’m belong to you," she whispered, surrendering completely.
Kaelen pushed forward, entering her in one smooth motion.
Seraphina screamed. Her back arched violently off the stone floor, her fingernails digging deep into Kaelen’s shoulders. It was a sharp, tearing pain, instantly followed by a massive, explosive shockwave of magical resonance.
[System Alert. Perfect Physical Resonance achieved.]
[Target mana core breached. Deep Extraction initiated.]
The entire temple lit up with blinding violet light. The geometric runes on Kaelen’s arms began to spin and glow like branding irons.
"You’re tearing it out of me!" she screamed as she thrashed beneath him.
"Give it to me," Kaelen grunted, setting a relentless pace. "Give me every single drop of that poison."
"Take it! Take it all!" she screamed, her hips rising to meet his thrusts.
With every movement, massive waves of thick, suffocating Abyssal Corruption were violently ripped from her spiritual core and sucked directly into Kaelen’s body. The lethal aphrodisiac that had tortured her for two weeks was finally being purged.
"Kaelen... the power..." she gasped, her eyes rolling back in pure ecstasy. "You are draining my strength."
"I’m taking the corruption," he corrected, his voice rough. "Your stats are just coming with it."
"Will I lose my class?"
"No," Kaelen said, his breathing heavy. "’I’m a Mana-Binder. I copy your strength. I don’t steal it permanently."
"Monster..." she moaned, completely lost in the overwhelming pleasure of the purge.
"You agreed to this."
"I did. I do."
[Extraction Progress: 50%... 70%... 90%...]
[Warning. Massive influx of pure mana detected. Host vessel expanding rapidly.]
Kaelen felt his mind shattering and rebuilding itself. The amount of experience points hidden within the Stage Four corruption was astronomical. Three years of being stuck at Level 1 were vanished in a matter of seconds. freewebnøvel.com
"Are you about to...?" Seraphina sobbed, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Yes," Kaelen growled.
"Clean me!" she screamed.
With a final, brutal thrust, Kaelen completely drained the very last drop of the Abyssal miasma from her soul.
[Extraction Complete. Stage Four Corruption successfully purged.]
[Target vessel is completely cured.]
Kaelen collapsed on top of her, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. Silence fell over the dark temple, broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing.
A barrage of system alerts suddenly flooded Kaelen’s vision, glowing bright violet in the darkness.
[Host Level Increased: 1 -> 5.]
[Host Level Increased: 5 -> 15.]
[Host Level Increased: 15 -> 30.]
[Level Up sequence concluded. Current Level: 35.]
[Skill Devoured: Holy Aura. Modifying to fit host’s alignment... Skill acquired: Abyssal Aura.]
[Skill Devoured: Vanguard Swordsmanship (Master Rank).]
[Passive Trait Devoured: Saintess Vitality (Extreme Health Regeneration).]
Kaelen stared at the prompts. He had jumped thirty-four levels in ten minutes. He possessed the combat skills of a veteran knight and the regeneration of a saint.
He pushed himself up, looking down at Seraphina.
The dark, pulsing veins were completely gone from her neck. Her skin was pale and flawless once again. The feverish heat had vanished, leaving her cool to the touch.
"The burning," she whispered, her eyes opening slowly.
"It’s gone," Kaelen confirmed.
She touched her own throat, tracing the smooth skin. "I’m clean. You actually did it."
"I told you I would."
"But I feel empty," she said, looking at him with a complicated expression. "My holy connection... the World Tree can’t hear my prayers anymore."
"Because your vows are broken," Kaelen said bluntly. "And because you belong to the abyss. You belong to me now."
Seraphina stared into his eyes. He expected her to cry, or to regret her decision now that her sanity had returned.
Instead, a slow, loyal smile touched her lips.
"Yes, Master," she said softly.
Kaelen felt a surge of victory. The strongest sword in the kingdom was his own.
"Once we get out here," Kaelen said as she pulled away and threw on the rest of her underwear, "I’m going to look for Roderick."
"The Silver-rank knight who threw you into the pit?" she asked, sitting up slowly.
"Yes."
"What are you going to do to him?"
"I’m going to feed him to a crawler," Kaelen stated coldly. "Piece by piece."
"Vengeance is strictly forbidden by the holy laws of the Church," Seraphina recited out of habit.
"Are you going to try and stop me?" Kaelen challenged.
Seraphina looked down at her damaged armor, and then at the dark tunnels leading up to the surface.
"No," she said, her voice turning very cold. "I’m going to help you hold him down."
"Good girl," Kaelen smirked. "Now get dressed. We have a dungeon to climb."
