Shadow of the Abyss

Altair could feel his teeth grinding; it was overwhelming to insert someone else's comprehension into his own—a rancid sweetness of a power that was not his own, yet his to command. He could stop. He could turn it all off, yet with the enemies he now possessed, could he truly afford to back down?

Grasping that rancid flame of sin, Altair poured his will through deep into his Astral Sea, seizing the hundreds of Forsaken Souls. In mere heartbeats, as their comprehension melded into his own, Altair no longer saw a corporal realm but one that transcended what he knew.

Motes of molten light danced like unfathomable constellations across his iris as deep as the ocean depths. It swallowed him, pulling him under into depths of some unknown nexus as he struggled to breathe, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of understanding that came with his Psionic Mind, removing the mental cap most mortal or immortal creatures held.

The Mana around the estate shuddered, pressed beneath the supremacy of the Will of the Abyss, as it began rushing towards Altair like a torrent of power. For whatever reason that seemed beyond him for the briefest moment, before knowing set him, the Mana of Heaven and Earth became something more than what it was, influenced by the Sin of Pride, to be better than it was. As if it knew it didn't have the right to exist within him, it began to evolve before his very eyes, reaching heights he never imagined.

Heartbeats passed as the grass beneath his feet rose from its trimly cut edge, slightly gaining more color, blooming into something more than what it originally was.

Even witnessing such an event, Altair couldn't help but be consumed by the mystery of evolution. His chest ached as his heart began to beat against his chest like a battering ram. One after the other, he could feel his ribs beginning to fracture, then quickly heal by the influx of Mana filling his meridians.

It was too much. Before Altair knew it, Pride had pushed the Mana to such heights that it became an Arcane Flame, pouring into him, searing his flesh from off his body as if it didn't have the right to be a part of him anymore.

It burned.

Altair might have screamed if his vocal cords hadn't been singed away. Yet his will was not his own, as he continued to fall deeper and deeper into that endless pit of comprehension of Heaven and Earth, robbed of any control of his body. Struggling was futile, but acceptance was not an option. He needed to survive. Needed to seize control.

Pain lashed at his mind as the Arcane Flame blazed even brighter than any known star. Noise filled the manor as hundreds of Forsaken raced towards the courtyard. The flames were growing, but the only thing they seemed interested in was the destruction of Altair.

It was such a strange phenomenon that Altair, despite his predicament, found it utterly fascinating. He had heard of conditional magic. Magic that grew stronger when placed under extreme restriction. The Arcane Flame had appeared to evolve under such restriction to only affect him.

'I overestimated my control over the Sin of Pride…" Altair knew, trying to seize control of the Will of the Abyss, controlling the Arcane Flame. It was under its authority that such a flame could exist. After the Will of the Abyss was a skill that was as strong as the user's willpower. And if Pride ensured the user would never grow weak, then the Will of the Abyss would forever continue to get evolve.

[Will of the Abyss]

Passive: Transcend Limitations of the One across the Myriad Heavens. The Stronger the user's conviction, the stronger he may transcend.

Active: Creates a Domain fueled by the user's Willpower/Charisma to plunge those of weaker wills into an Abyss of Despair.

"MASTER!!!!" Ravens, despite voice, thundered. "USE THE VALE!!!!"

If Altair could smile, he would have. He had done everything he could… Even that black lake in his subconscious was no aid. He was stuck. Between his regeneration and disintegration, he could do nothing but wait for him to fall into a state of Soul exhaustion.

[You have broken into the Sixth Circle]

DING

[Mana Circle has become unstable]

[DING]

[Extreme Influx of Mana is Filling Mana Circle]

Suddenly taken back, Altair blinked, watching his mana circle percentage exploding

10%

30%

60%

90%

[Unallocated Exp has been Expended]

Class: [ King of the Vale IV: Lv 1→ Lv 250]

[You have broken into the Seventh Circle]

30%

40%

[Error]

[Ding Heart of Darkness seeks to Evolve Host]

"NO!!!!" Altair tried screaming, echoed by the Vale King, hoping his system would listen. The last thing he needed to do was expend energy he didn't possess. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

[All Vale Qi and Mana will vanish upon Evolution]

[Heart of Darkness has initiated Evolution]

Blinking as the Arcane Flame suddenly vanished, Altair's eyes went wide as his body suddenly became whole beneath the effects of Ashen Blood. He turned, catching sight of Raven rushing at him before everything cut to black.

****

Catching her Master, Raven felt as if someone had driven a knife through her heart. She could practically taste the coppery, sweet nectar of her blood filling her mouth, holding her master.

They had thought that since Mephisto had promised no more tribulation, Altair would not suffer from any sort of danger. However, that was so much further from the truth. Breaking through twice was not an easy feat, but it was a common thing among geniuses. But whatever happened just now wasn't.

"Let me look after him," Medusa said calmly, sauntering closer to take him into her arms."He'll be fine with me."

Raven wasn't sure she could have given him to anyone if they weren't directly sired to her Master. Tears were already blinding her eyes. He was so cold; she wondered if what she was holding was a lifeless husk. Even dead people held some sort of weight to them, yet Altair felt lighter than a skeleton.

"He is alive," Medusa said slowly after a measured pulse of her Master's vitals. Audible sighs of relief sounded in quick succession. "Quickly. Secure the scene. We don't need our enemies to learn of this. If anyone asks—"

"I'll tell them he broke through," Raven said. There was no reason to lie. She only had to remember not to share the whole truth. A lie could be spotted and dissected into a thousand pieces, but the truth had to be believed. Forcing herself to nod, Raven wiped away the tears, steeling her heart. It wasn't the time for tears.

"Secure the manners!" she thundered, her voice empowered by Vale Qi. In moments, the Forsaken became like unseen shadows.

The Old Duke and Duchess appeared carved from stone as she approached them.

"Master broke through twice and received a small backlash. That is what shall be known to the world, " was all she said before departing to the main foyer.

Despite not wanting to, the best thing she could do was make a statement to the world. Anyone from the first Circle to Transcendent could sense that dreadful energy that had enveloped her Master. If she chose silence it wouldn't take long for men and women to jump to their own conclusion. There was no hiding what went on with Altair. What she needed to do was push them to believe what she wanted. And what better way to do so than to show a bit of transparency?

"Shall I take care of this?" came the icy voice of Tasha, leaning on a stone pillar.

"You?"

"I am well versed in these games, unlike you. Let me take point. We can't afford to show the world how… broken you are. You are his Guardian, after all. I'll handle all PR."

Raven staggered where she stood. Did she look so haggard?

"The world does not yet know your true role in his empire. Let's keep it a secret for now. Return to him and let me handle all this… backlash."

Despite how good that sounded, Raven had to shake her head. "You're still weak. It's barely been a day since you resurrected. No one will take you seriously." she paused, releasing a bitter sigh. "I'll go with you. Just… make me look presentable."

"Darling, I'll make you look fuckable, again."

***

"I didn't think you'd descend," Medusa was saying, peering down at Altair and casually brushed a strand from his face. He truly was beautiful. "Were you so worried?"

The Second Infernal Monarch frowned as he glanced at Medusa. "He is my son. I care for all my children. Even Tia's useless one."

Medusa sighed, unsure what she expected from out of him. He was one of the Monarchs of Hells; that was probably one of the nicest things he would ever say.

"How's he looking?"

Medusa's expression tightened. "It's not soul exhaustion. His soul is even more powerful than before."

"That's not an answer."

"I don't know… I want to say he's crippled, but I can feel Vale Qi, but that's the only thing I can sense. No lifeforce, no soul essence, no mana, nothing."