Abyssal Awakening

Chapter 178: Thane's Gamble

Raising her eyebrow, Alice didn't think he would say it was her honour to meet him. However, considering that he could be a potential Abyss Lord, she wasn't going to retort to his statement.

'Even though he says he's Allura's old friend, I can't take his word for granted. But I can't just not do what he says either… Let's just play along for now.'

"So how many of them do I have to beat? Like I said earlier, I only have two Sigils. There's a limit to what I can do." Alice shrugged since her limit was probably going against three star Hunters.

Of course, that wasn't taking into account the properties of her body and flames. If she includes them, then she could fight up to five star Hunters should they underestimate her.

"If you were anyone else I might've agreed. But we both know Allura doesn't do things the simple way. I assume you can probably skip stars and defeat those higher level than you right?" Thane smirked while calling over the waiter for some alcohol.

". . .Perhaps."

"Then it's simple. Your first opponent will be three stars and once you show you capabilities we'll move to four stars. Naturally, the people gambling there will bid for the contestants provided by the arena. Especially the VIP's when seeing the Sigil difference. That's when they realise you aren't simple and you've already cost them hundreds of gold perhaps even platina." Thane chuckled.

"And you're so sure they'll bid against me because?"

"Because I'll be bidding you up obviously. There's no way a scrawny brat like you can even generate enough interest for bids let alone bids in the hundreds." He rolled his eyes while reaching into his pocket and pulled out a note.

Seeing this, Alice understood that he was never asking her to take part.

"First opponent, a swordsman who dual wields while having a greatsword nearby. Basically a three sword user. Three Sigils and his powers are based on leaving 'traces' of his slashes in the arena. Be careful of where he already slashed or else you might be in for a nasty surprise." Thane explained while looking through his notes.

"Let's go now since he should be free for a match."

"Ah! Wait, Ria hasn't come back yet." Alice called out as she didn't want to leave without notifying Ria.

"Ria? Right… the grandkid of that brat. I don't have any responsibility for her. Why should I bother?" Thane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… Because Ria was also trained by Allura. So if you have a responsibility for me since Allura is training me, surely Ria is accounted for right?"

Staring at Alice for a moment, Thane was silent before leaning back in annoyance.

"Heads or tails?" He asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Heads or tails. Pick one."

Blinking her eyes in confusion, Alice wasn't sure if this was a trick question or not.

"Don't tell me you don't even know about heads or tails? Tch fine. Basically, I flip a coin and you guess what side it lands on. If it lands on the one you called, you win. So if you get it right I'll take responsibility for a second brat and not just you." Thane waved his hand lazily while pulling out a coin.

"Now pick one before I say no."

"Ah! Erm… errr…. Heads!"

Flicking the coin the moment Alice mentioned her choice, Thane closed his eyes and allowed the coin to drop against the table. After a series of bounces, the coin started to spin before stopping on heads.

Seeing this, Alice's eyes lit up in happiness while Thane let out the deepest, most annoyed groan he could.

"How long is the brat even going to be?" Thane asked while accepting the beverage that the waiter brought over for him.

"I'm not sure. She said she was looking for the arena."

"Then why am I even bothering with waiting? Tch." Rolling his eyes, Thane closed one of his eyes before covering it with his hand.

Activating two of his Sigils, he sat in silence while Alice didn't want to bother him.

"Found the brat."

Tapping his finger against the table, a swirl of darkness gathered above them as it started to distort.

Finally, piercing the veil of darkness, a human leg could be seen.

"SH*TTTTTT!!!!"

A woman's cry out heard as she fell from the portal and landed against the floor.

*BANG!!

Hitting her head from not being prepared, Ria curled up into a foetal position while clutching her head.

"Ria?!" Alice cried out in shock as she didn't think Thane would just bring Ria here of all things.

"F*ck! Huh??? Alice?? Why am I back here?" Ria widened her eyes in surprise as she immediately froze up upon seeing Thane who was sitting in front of Alice.

He had a bored look in his eyes while glancing down at Ria from above.

"It's… kind of a long story." Alice forced a smile while surveying their surroundings.

The sudden appearance of Ria had attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention. While Thane didn't care, it may make things more complicated for the two of them so Alice suggested they make their way to the arena while she explained the situation.

"Sure go ahead. I've fulfilled my side of things by bringing her here. Let's go to the arena now before I get bored waiting." Thane yawned while finishing his drink.

Standing up, he made his way out of the Guild building while Alice and Ria followed behind.

Hearing the situation from Alice, Ria couldn't help but look at Thane with scepticism. After all, this seemed too good to be real, even if he was an old friend of Allura.

There must be something more that he wasn't telling, especially considering that he's a potential Abyss Lord. Hell, even six star Hunters wouldn't bother with small fries like them.

Alice had avoided explaining some of the situation as she couldn't just say he had six Sigils. Instead, she held up six fingers while pointing to her Sigil.

"Let's just play along for now. Not like we can go against what he says anyway. But if things get too ridiculous, let's use you know what." Ria whispered while Alice nodded her head.

However, a small hammer made from shadows appeared above Ria as it hit her on the head, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Oi brat, I can hear you. Even if you use the tools they gave you, they won't be able to save you. Especially that brat who mingles with death." Thane scoffed, sounding as though he was offended by the very notion that some tools could stop him.

Where he wanted to go, nothing can stop him.

Making their way through the city, they took a train that slowly descended into the lower half of the city.

As they made their way down, the surface disappeared from their sight while another city appeared beneath the surface.

Surprise filled Alice's face as the undercity looked as though it was bathed in sunlight. When compared to the darkness that prevailed in the Abyss all day every day, this felt like a breath of fresh air.

It was cheap mimicry but for Alice, this was the first time in 10 years that she felt as though she was out in the open.

Clutching her chest, Alice couldn't help but wonder what it'll feel like once she finally arrived at the surface and out of the Abyss.

Seeing this, Thane couldn't help but smirk to himself.

The arena in this under city was located in the very centre. While there was indeed gambling, it wasn't the main attraction since many of the residents came here to watch the machine prototypes fight one another as a form of entertainment.

They would different companies compete with one another to see who has made the best guard to be implemented into the cities defences. The human battles were merely an addition to the machine battles.

Registration for the arena was simple just like how it was in the last city. They just needed to present their Guild ID which verifies how many Sigils they own.

After asking to be put up against the fighter known as Mortis, the receptionist gave her a questioning look before asking about the wager.

They needed to make sure it was worth his time.

Before Alice could say anything, Thane placed a coin pouch on the desk.

"I want to bet 100 platina on her victory." He grinned, causing everyone who heard him to pause in shock.

100 platina!

For a single match between a two star Hunter and a three star Hunter!

Not even the matches between four star Hunters would have this high of a wager never mind the battle for a two star Hunter. Not only that, this was for her victory!?

"Erm… Sorry! This is too much for me to deal with. Allow me to get my manager." The receptionist apologised as she quickly ran to get someone who was more qualified to deal with this much money. This was 100 platina for gods sake! This was far above what someone like her was trained to handle!

Noticing Alice and Ria staring at him in shock, Thane only shrugged.

"You want to fight and I want to make it interesting for my own sake. Just some pocket change compared to some of the other stuff I've collected over the years."

Hearing his response, Alice's smile twitched as she didn't think her fight would now have a wager of 100 platina.

However, the main issue came from the fact that there were now going to be more eyes on this fight than ever…

###

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE AN ASTOUNDING FIGHT FOR YOU TODAY! A WAGER OF 100 WHOLE PLATINA! YOU HEARD IT RIGHT, YOU'RE NOT HALLUCINATING! 100 PLATINA IS BEING USED AS A WAGER FOR THIS FIGHT!"

Hearing the announcer cry out in excitement, Alice stood on the arena with her face being hidden by the shadow cast by her hair.

Around her was the arena, a breathtaking spectacle of metal and stone. Towering pillars served as obstacles within the arena while seating arrangements surrounded the main platform, allowing everyone to get a good view on the stage.

There was only one thought in Alice's mind.

'F*ck…'

She wanted to cry. She didn't mind fighting but in front of everyone and 100 platina on the line as well? No thanks.