Chapter 126: Defy The {Story}!
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[You have equipped [Thanatos’s Broken Scythe]!]
[The Ancient Relic asks for a Sacrifice!]
[You have offered a part of your Soul as a Sacrifice!]
I felt my very soul being slowly bitten apart by an invisible force, a dark energy coming from the broken scythe I was holding in my left hand while I held Gram in the right hand.
I had already stuffed myself with Soul Wine from Ramses’ Urn, so my Soul was so bloated it even hurt, but that was good; it was alright!
FLASH!
The Scythe slowly started to glow. I haven’t used it since I got it back in that damn Dungeon I got stuck on and used it to kill a snake demonic human whose name I don’t even remember anymore.
I had never used it after that because of how painful it was to use; after all, it eats out the soul slowly as it is used, and my soul, which was already left wounded after using it once, couldn’t afford a second time, risking getting my very soul completely eaten.
This is the broken piece of a weapon wielded by a Constellation of Death, and a very strong one at that. Naturally, if any mortal tries to use it, it will consume their souls.
It is very lethal, and soul-restoring items are incredibly rare. but with Ramses Urn, I have little to worry about!
[You have activated [Thanatos’s Broken Scythe] Special Ability [Sacrifice]!]
[Sacrifice]: [A Unique Ability that only appears once a Sacrifice has been given. Enhances the weapon’s Attack by +10000 and grants a 1% chance to instantly kill a foe whenever they’re slashed with this weapon. Durability decreases constantly while in use.]
[Because of the additional Soul being fed to the weapon’s endless gluttony, Attack Power is further increased by +500 each second, and the chance of instantly killing any foe has increased by an additional 0.001 with each second!]
[However, Durability will also decrease by -1 each second!]
[Durability]: [99/100]
Alright, my soul’s really fat right now, so eat as much as you want!
“What is that?! Where did you get a weapon holding the power of such a strong Constellation?!” Blednica screamed. “That sword alone was already a problem, but you’ve got that broken scythe?!”
“I’ve got way more than that, actually!” I smiled as I clashed against Blednica, my dual-wielding attacks using the scythe and gram becoming faster as I pointed my energies into Blednica, and then... “{Anubis’ Judgement}!”
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, it felt as if time itself had stopped momentarily. As a huge golden balance emerged in the middle of the air, both of our hearts were extracted from our chests and placed on the balance.
“W-What is happening?! This presence… The power of a Constellation?!” Blednica panicked. “Another one?! Where did you get these powers from?! How many… Constellations fancy you?!” She was furiously jealous of me now.
[Player Anna has begun the [Weighing of Hearts Ceremony]!]
[While the Ceremony is in effect, both members cannot move and use any of their abilities.]
[Player Anna has decided to balance the target’s powers and sins in comparison to her own, which are reflected in the Feather of Truth.]
[Due to the Feather of Truth being assimilated by Player Anna’s body, her heart will be taken instead.]
“I can’t move! My sponsor…! Help… HELP YOUR VESSEL…!” Blednica cried, but it was futile.
Her heart was shown to be much heavier than mine. It was so heavy that the balance holding it hit the ground with a loud thud.
BAAAM!
[The [Weighing of Hearts Ceremony] has finished.]
[However, because the power of Constellations cannot be exerted here, the judgment ceremony has been greatly weakened!]
[The [Pure-Blooded Vampire Countess: Blednica (S+ Rank)] has been judged by her terrible sins.]
[The difference in power between both users is incredibly high.]
[Due to the difference in power exceeding 50%, proper compensation and debuff will be applied to both parties, respectively. However, it has been greatly weakened because Anubis’ powers cannot be summoned completely.]
FLASH!
I felt a slight enhancement to all my Stats, while Blednica groaned, feeling weakened, her entire blood-made body squirming as she tried to free herself from this invisible power holding her in place.
[Player Anna's Total Power has increased by +300% for the duration of this battle.]
[The target’s Total Power has been lowered by -30% for the duration of this battle.]
[Because of a lack of Divine Power, a {Guardian of the Balance} cannot be summoned.]
[Cooldown until next Skill Usage: 12 Hours]
Hey, the power increased from the last time I used this power against Solomon! From 20% to 30%! Is it because the Skill had Leveled Up?!
This is fine with me!
“Y-You…! Ugh…! I’m free! But my energies... My powers!” Blednica started to panic. “They’ve weakened so much?!”
“You’ve been judged for your sins,” I said with a smile, my power overflowing even more combined with the boost of the Spirits fused into my Physique. “And now, I’ll make sure that the judgment reaches your very soul!”
Using enormous angelic wings made from my overflowing spiritual energies, I rushed towards Blednica, grabbing her by the neck and pummeling her down into the ruined castle!
CRASH!
“GRAAAHHH…!”
Her very soul trembled as I heard countless cracking sounds akin to grass shattering. Her soul took a big hit, but that wasn’t near enough to strike her down!
“G-Get off me!”
Blednica gritted her teeth, her entire blood-made body shapeshifting into countless sharp spears being fired towards my body.
“{Thousand Blades}: {Nether Star’s Arc}!”
By combining the powers of the broken Scythe with Gram, cosmic energy, spiritual energy, and sunshine energy all at once, I managed to create a brand-new technique!
SLAAASH!
I spun my body into midair, both slashing weapons, unleashing a tremendous, spiraling gray slash that destroyed Blednica’s spears imbued with The Bleeding Scream’s {Presence} and then clashing into her boy, cutting her down into thousands of tiny pieces!
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
“AAAGGHH…! S-So frustrating! WHY?! Why do you deny me the only chance for me to see my brother?!”
Blednica started crying blood as her entire body turned into a shapeless mass of blood, her soul gaining even more cracks, but yet to give up as she escaped from my grasp and fused back with her lower half, which I suddenly noticed had scribed something on the floor?!
“When did you…?!”
“It’s too late for that, fool! Become the Sacrifice yourself!”
Blednica suddenly turned into a giant made of pure blood, resembling her shape slightly but twisted and monstrous, with countless eyes and tentacles across her body. At the same time as she spoke those words, she raised her blood-made tentacle arms, the magic circle I found myself standing in activating.
The runes danced with crimson and black colors, activating an arcane and eldritch power that suddenly pushed me down into the floor, an unfathomable force beginning to attempt to suck my life force and soul away!
TRUUM!
“UGH?!”
[Pure-Blooded Vampire Countess: Blednica (S+ Rank)] has activated the {Arcane Eldritch Magic Circle: Abyssal Sacrifice}!]
[All Souls and Life Force within the Magic Circle will begin to be devoured by her Sponsor, [The Bleeding Scream]!]
[Your Soul and Life Force are beginning to be sucked away!]
[Your Physique and Energies are resisting!]
[They’re slowly beginning to fail!]
She’s really trying to use me as a sacrifice to complete her evolution?! This fucking bitch!
“OOOOHHHHH…!”
And from above the blackened skies, the shapeless form of The Bleeding Scream groaned, as if the bitch suddenly was offered the tastiest of meals!
I suddenly felt my entire mind and body being attacked by shapeless and invisible forces—countless red tentacles entering my mind, trying to devour my will so I couldn’t fight back!
I found myself completely elsewhere, but in a white space again, and in there, a large, crimson figure stood—not a figure, but something.
It had the slight shape of a little girl wearing a red dress, but that was about it, the shape of a girl ended when you realized every pore, every flesh, everything was red flesh and blood, constantly decaying, as countless pale eyes glared at me.
“You’re… unordinary…”
The voice that spoke sent shivers down every inch of my spine and soul. I felt instantly cold; my body, everything felt cold! I swear I couldn’t even breathe, my heart stopped!
“Interesting… interesting… So interesting…”
She kept walking towards me, slowly extending her little hand, transforming into countless fleshy tendrils, and extending towards my face and body.
“So this is… What they’ve made... A singularity- no, a paradox? You shouldn’t exist."
“W-Wha…?”
“Oh well, I will simply eat you and be done with it... Heheh… HEHEHEHEH!”
Her entire body engulfed me completely, and I felt incapable of fighting back.
Yet!
FLASH!
Something within me activated, my Cosmic Core awakened, and so my skills activated. A gigantic golden eye erupted from my forehead, its flashing light pushing The Bleeding Scream away!
“Ugh…?! What…?! The Eye of a Constellation?! Do you think that can stop ME?! RUBBISH!”
She swung her hands, destroying the eye in an instant, only for something bigger to come from me—a gigantic, monstrous centipede!
“Anna! What the heck is going on?! Who are you even fighting now- EEP! A VOID RULER?!”
It was Sepa!
“Punny bug! Begone!”
The Bleeding Scream shapeshifted her hand into a gigantic mass of countless hands, arms, legs, eyes, tentacles, and screaming jaws as she clashed against Sepa!
CLASH!
Her gigantic centipede body barely resisted the beating as she fell into the white space. I felt slightly freer from The Bleeding Scream’s control as I ran to Sepa!
“GRRRHHH… Are you kidding me now?!” She cried. “I have to fight something several leagues above me?! I am not even a big shot, Constellation; I am barely known!”
“I’m sorry, but we’ll have to do with just this!” I said. “Or not…”
However, within this space of the mind, I suddenly felt my pocket full! What did this even mean? Was there an item that came with me to this place?
“ALL OF YOU SHALL BE ASSIMILATED!”
The Bleeding Scream rushed towards us, her very existence spreading across my entire mindscape and consuming it all into crimson red colors and the sense of utter dread that her Authority exuded!
A fight against her even with a Constellation was completely hopeless, yet Sepa gritted her mandibles, bravely rushing towards her and clashing with all her might!
“FUCK IT!”
CLASH!
Her claws, legs, and tail slightly stopped the endless crimson waves for a split second! There was enough time for my hand to reach my pocket, grabbing whatever was there.
And when I saw it, I realized that these bastards planned for me to use it this entire time.
A black-colored jewel in the shape of an eye.
[The Seamless Abyss] is watching you with one of their eyes.]
[They await your decision, daughter of humankind.]
[Will you defy the {Story}, or perish?]
Seamless Abyss! What is he planning?! What does he want from me? Certainly not just help me, surely?
Well, fuck it! I don’t have any other options!
“Pathetic, punny being. You don’t even amount to an Epic! Despite originating from a Myth Realm Constellation, your Source is so weak it is laughable!”
The Bleeding Scream laughed, her countless tendrils piercing Sepa’s body as the gigantic centipede kept cutting her body apart to escape sure death, slowly regenerating back with the power of a bug’s amazing regeneration abilities!
“Yeah, maybe I can’t beat you… But she can!”
Sepa roared, lowering her head for me to leap right from there, as I ran across her entire long body, reaching The Bleeding Scream with the treasure in my hands.
“You’re coming straight into my maws now, little singularity? How interesting—what is that?!”
The panic in her voice was clear the moment she saw what was in my hands!
“This is a warning from your friend, The Seamless Abyss!” I roared, holding the jewel in my hands and then pushing it into her head! The fleshy tendrils tried to stop me, piercing my very body, only for them to cower and weaken, withering the moment an endless darkness emerged from the jewel!
FLASH!!!
[You have activated the effects of the [Crystal Eye of the Abyss (??? Rank)]!]
[The Seamless Abyss] approves of you. You have been granted a Fragment of their {Presence}!]
[The {Presences} of two Void Rulers clash! The Fabric of Reality is trembling! Both energies are negating each other!]
“SEAMLESS ABYSS! YOUUUUUU…! AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR YOU! IS THIS HOW YOU REPAY MY LOVE?!”
The Bleeding Scream gave out a loud, soul-agonizing scream before her entire {Presence} was expulsed from my soul and mindscape. At that very moment, my eyes opened again!
“{Arcane Hands}!”
Utilizing my newfound energy, I hacked into the magic circle and disabled it; its runes were breaking apart their order and deactivating the whole process!
Crack, crack... CRASH!
“BLEDNICAAAA!”
I rushed towards Blednica, her face shocked as she saw that I had escaped her trap, the black jewel in my hands suddenly glowing with new power, encompassing my body.
[The Fragment of {Presence} of [The Seamless Abyss] encompassing your body.]
[The {Aura of Seamless Abyss} makes you completely invisible for 30 seconds!]
FLASH!
I suddenly disappeared from Blednica’s vision, as I became invisible!
So this was one of the eye’s powers!
“Huh? W-Where did you go?!”
Blednica could not even detect me!
This time, I’ll make sure to thoroughly cut her soul into pieces.
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