Abyssal Awakening

Chapter 283: Reflection Of The Core

"How potent do you think a cast can become if you combine multiple Spiritual Hearts?" Griselda asked with a cruel grin.

Hearing this, Alice felt a chill down her spine as she saw a familiar light in Griselda's eye.

A light of greed and insanity.

'She's not joking.' Alice thought while subconsciously taking a step back.

"Think about it. The output of a cast, while can be adjusted by the user, is still limited to one passage. That being the Spiritual Heart. There are people in the world who can target this connection, severing the tether momentarily or permanently. One being the Executioner, Allura.

"In the case where a person loses their connection to the Spiritual Heart, only two things can occur. If they are strong enough, they survive but lose the ability to cast or access their Sigil abilities. If they are not strong enough, they enter Spiritual Death. The body becomes a husk of its former self." Griselda explained with a laugh.

Taking a few steps from Alice, she flicked her hand and revealed her tether to the Spiritual Heart.

"So I ran a little test. To see if the output can be increased. And who knew, such beauty exists in this world." She muttered while raising her hand towards the malformed network of tethers extending from her body.

The shadows of those connected to Griselda, the Apostle of Spirituality. If Alice had seen their mournful expressions, she might have been annoyed. But that was not the case.

It was pure silence. No mournful screams, no hateful glares and no tears. Each face seemed 'peaceful'.

"Beautiful isn't it? The collective will to work towards a single goal of longevity. To become part of something greater and attain the perfection sought by all those bound by the chains of mortality." Griselda exclaimed while caressing one of the faces with her hand.

'She's bat sh*t insane.' Alice thought with a forced smile as she wanted nothing to do with the Church of the Moon anymore.

She finally understood why Allura hated these b*stards. Under the presence of longevity and perfection, they steal the lives of others to live as nothing but a slave to the Apostles.

"Hmm… Are you not impressed? I'd figured that someone of your calibre would understand the beauty of this. Especially when we're not so different." Griselda chuckled.

Snapping her finger, black inky tethers appeared from Alice's body.

While Griselda's tether reached to the high heavens, Alice's descended into the depths of the void.

Glancing back, Alice saw a familiar figure. The beast that served as her Spiritual Heart and the source of her Violet Flames.

Connected to that beast was what she had originally perceived as the void or emptiness. But that was incorrect. It was a densely packed network of countless tethers, numerous to the point it had become a sheet of darkness.

"How did you even manage to take so many Spiritual Hearts I wonder. Iya~ Gives me chills just looking at it. And here I thought I was alone in my pursuit of perfection with my Lady. Who knew I would find a kindred spirit." Griselda smiled happily while hugging Alice from behind.

Her cold mechanical arms wrapped around Alice's body.

"But it seems like quite the waste to leave this power untapped. Since you've already trained under Kaden, I'm sure you know the pathways in the body and how best to adjust the casts. So how about you learn my method of casting?" Griselda asked while Nanna of Immortality simply watched by the side.

While the two of them may share the same Master, they don't get along too well. Their friendship was only surface level.

To Nanna, Griselda's actions are distasteful. But they share the same discipline under the guidance of the Moon Goddess and thus could not reject her.

Griselda sought to use others as a foundation for something greater. To become part of an immortal being. As for her, she sought to free people from the bounds of mortality.

The body was nothing but a puppet to be piloted by the Soul, so long as the soul lives, the body can always be replaced. They retain their individuality while embracing the gifts of immortality. That was the most beautiful form of life for Nanna.

And considering her own past, she could see traces of herself in Alice.

"Griselda, stop pressuring her. Let her choose what she wants to do and don't get carried away. No matter what, she only possesses three Sigils, her body cannot withstand your method of casting." Nanna spoke out as Griselda paused and glanced back in annoyance.

There was no longer a smile on her face as her mood had been spoiled by Nanna.

"Fine. I will admit I got a little carried away." Griselda sighed after a long pause.

Meanwhile, Alice couldn't take her eyes off of the darkness that surrounded the beast bound by golden chains.

Through this darkness, she could see vague outlines and expressions of Abyss Beasts. Some she had never seen before, some she recognised.

"It's not exactly a casting method that's usable by everyone. Since you don't have the blessing given by my Lady, I doubt you can fully tap into this power. Of course, if you're thinking of switching allegiances, we're more than happy to welcome you with open arms." Griselda offered but Alice shook her head.

"Sorry, I'll have to pass."

Shrugging her shoulders, Griselda didn't press the issue further. If Alice doesn't want to embark on the path of longevity then there's nothing she can do. When she's at her wit's end, she'll come to realise the beauty.

"That's fine. Either way, we have 24 hours to teach you something new. How about letting you understand more about your Spiritual Body? You can also say it's training for you to understand and interact with your soul."

Seeing Alice's hesitation, Nanna decided to step in.

"There are two ways of interacting with your soul. They don't interrupt the connection you have with your physical body if that's what you're worried about. It's merely looking at the reflection."

Even though they may be detached from their physical body, it's not a state that can be easily achieved.

Even those within the Church needed plenty of time and resources to attain this state.

So for beginners and Alice, the first step is to observe and understand one's soul.

"Griselda has shown you one of the ways and that's to observe the soul through the tether connecting your body and your Spiritual body together. The second method is one that I use and that's to observe your own reflection." Nanna explained.

"Observe my reflection?"

Alice had encountered something similar before. The times she saw a reflection of Velouria within her. Times when she saw the beast sealed within and sometimes the 'hunger' she demonstrates in a battle.

There were many reflections that Alice has seen with only two coming from unknown origins. For Velouria, Alice could assume that a part of her was attached to Cayla.

But the beast and her 'hunger'? She had no idea.

"A reflection is… the truest part of your soul in the moment. The human mind hides behind facades and experiences but the soul reveals your core. Your true self. Through observing your soul using the reflection, you create a harmony between body and soul, increasing the potency of your casts.

"That's to say, some may dislike the 'core' of their soul and their potency only decreases. So it's up to you what you want to do. Just remember that using Sigil powers through casting is deeply rooted with the understanding of one's soul." Nanna warned.

Taking her warning to heart, Alice considered her options.

"Is it rude if I say I want to see my reflection alone?" Alice asked hesitantly.

She knew the peculiarities within her body and even though Griselda has seen the numerous Spiritual Hearts linked to her, she still didn't want them to see her 'core'.

"The process of observing one's soul is done alone do not worry. While we may be here, we cannot see the core of your being unless you reveal it to us and thus, we cannot interfere. What Griselda had done earlier was simply observing the connections rather than the details. A silhouette for a lack of a better word.

"And if you still doubt, I do not mind making a Law of Agreement. The soul is a delicate issue and we do not force our interference to those still attached to their body. Only when you are truly ready to join us will we begin to modify the core." Nanna explained.

Creating a contract with her hand, it stated that neither Nanna nor Griselda would be able to see the core of Alice's soul unless Alice expresses permission with no outside interference.

Reading through the contract several times, Alice didn't see any issues and agreed.

With the agreement now in place, both Nanna and Griselda took a few steps back, allowing Alice some space to face her reflection.

Waving her finger, Nanna created a split down the centre of the arena, reflecting everything on their side.

Standing in front of this mirror, all Alice saw was a murky cloud of darkness that constantly exuded black mist. As for Nanna and Griselda, she could see their 'outlines'.

Griselda was followed along by a mass of Spiritual Hearts gained from others while Nanna had the shadow of a larger being watching over her, puppeteering her body.

Taking a deep breath, Alice calmed her mind and stepped closer to the reflection. To observe her core.

'Yo~ Don't you just look pathetic.' Her reflection let out a laugh while clutching her stomach.

'Honestly, I can't believe this is how you dolled yourself up for the outside world. So… Boring.' 'Alice' sighed as her piercing purple eyes bore into Alice.

Her reflection's voice echoed in her mind yet she didn't reply. Stepping closer, the details hidden by this cloud of darkness became clear.