Chapter 317: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 317: Winged Heavenly Being Subjugation (5)
The passage originated from Inferno, a section of the epic poem The Divine Comedy, completed in 1320 by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri.
The deepest circle of Hell was an icy lake called Cocytus, formed by the convergence of Hell’s rivers. There resided the greatest traitors in history: Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, and Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, the assassins of Julius Caesar.
It was also said to be the dwelling place of the Archdemon, Lucifer.
I recalled that the founder of the game company behind ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ also went by the name Dante. Had he adopted that name because he already knew the landscape of the world’s furthest reaches?
I wonder who he really is...
“Haah...!”
I snapped back to my senses. For a moment, I had lost consciousness and drifted into my memories. I had nearly slipped away for good.
“Cough! Haah, haah...!”
I gasped for air as if my lungs had forgotten how to breathe, coughing repeatedly as I scanned my surroundings.
The interior of the elevator was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. Perhaps I only felt that way because I had been on the brink of death.
Crimson blood was splattered across the white jade floor. In my desperate scramble to board the elevator, I had tumbled inside with a body that had already lost its left arm and both legs.
The bleeding was catastrophic. I could barely muster the strength to stay awake.
Drowsiness washed over me in heavy waves, but I knew all too well that closing my eyes now would mean certain death.
Why did you...
Judging the situation hopeless, I had been ready to give up on everything, harboring resentment toward Stella and Ozma.
Why... why did you help me...?
I thought of the Candy House Witch.
What am I to you? I don’t understand why my struggle to protect people became a reason for you to burn yourself alive.
But... none of that mattered now.
She had dispelled the doubts in my heart and ignited a fierce desire to grasp onto life once more.
I will survive.
And I will make sure to repay the price you paid to save me.
“Ah, agh...!”
I have to move. Move. Move!
With my eyes straining until the veins bulged and my voice reduced to a bloodless rasp, I tried to shift my frozen cheek, which was pressed against the cold floor.
“Ugh, agh...!”
As I forced my head up, the skin of my cheek—stuck to the floor—tore away with a sickening rip. The biting cold rushed over the raw flesh and seeped into my mouth.
It was fine. Compared to the agony of losing my limbs, this was nothing.
In the inner pocket of my jacket was a magic pouch. Inside it was the Blood of the Evanescent. I had to drink it.
First, I had to flip my collapsed body over. I summoned a simple ice wall from the floor to provide leverage, pushing against it until I rolled onto my back.
“Haah, haah...”
My breathing was rapid, yet my heart was gradually slowing down. Due to the unbearable lethargy, my mind felt hazy.
I couldn't fall asleep. I lifted my head and repeatedly slammed the back of it against the floor to force myself to stay conscious.
“Eden...”
A cluster of earth mana coalesced in the air, taking the shape of a small golem.
Eden, the rock golem. He trembled as he looked down at me. I managed a weak smile, trying to reassure him.
“It’s okay... In the inner pocket of my jacket... take out the magic pouch... Inside, there’s a small... glass bottle... with red blood in it...”
[Kyuuu...!]
“Pour it into my mouth...”
Eden responded with a trembling cry. He pulled the magic pouch from my jacket and retrieved the small vial containing the Blood of the Evanescent.
“You did well...”
Eden uncorked the bottle and poured the liquid into my mouth. I had intended to save this for Ian if he ever faced a mortal threat...
Nothing ever goes as planned.
There was no time to savor it. The Blood of the Evanescent trickled down my throat.
“Ugh!”
Thump.
My heart began to pound with violent intensity.
Bones and flesh rapidly knitted together where my left arm and legs had been. For a moment, I had to endure a blazing agony that engulfed my regenerating limbs. My ruptured organs and shattered bones were completely restored. Even the external lacerations vanished.
It worked.
I coughed dryly and gasped for air as I pushed myself into a sitting position. An immense thirst surged through me. I quickly pulled a water bottle from the magic pouch and emptied it into my parched throat.
“Ah, I feel alive...!”
Has water ever tasted this sweet?
It was the best thing I had ever tasted. The pain that had saturated my entire body subsided, and my strength began to return.
As expected of the Blood of the Evanescent—it provided a dramatic recovery befitting a final trump card.
[Kyuuu...]
Eden stared at me, looking utterly shell-shocked. When I smiled at him in my healed state, his eyes welled up with tears. I patted his head gently.
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
[Kyuu...!]
I unsummoned Eden and looked up. On the ceiling of the aesthetically stunning elevator was a large, round face. It was a grotesque visage, with eyes and a mouth haphazardly stuck onto it, but it no longer startled me.
As our eyes met, it spoke.
[I shall ensure a safe journey. I shall ensure a safe journey. Is there anything that is inconvenient for you?]
“No, I’m fine.”
[That is a relief. That is a relief.]
How polite.
I didn’t know what this being was, but it was clearly a guide for the icy lake. It didn't seem to harbor any ill intent.
Anyway...
My chest ached. I couldn't even offer a proper prayer for the soul of the Candy House Witch. For now, all I could manage was a whisper.
“Thank you...”
Though I was overcome with a sense of helplessness, that was exactly why I had to press forward.
It wasn't long before I realized the back of the elevator was transparent. I had thought it was just darkness, but as we descended further, a lake stretching to the horizon came into view. I couldn't tell how fast the elevator was moving, but the ride was smooth.
In the distance, a grand gate filled the sky, marking a boundary in the landscape. It was an incredibly beautiful structure.
Rain...
Rain was pouring from the sky, but it wasn't ordinary water. Its hue was a deep, pale red.
I recalled the records left by Dorothy. Hadn't she said that when "someone" fell, the blood they shed was so vast that it formed clouds and fell without end?
Is this the rain of blood?
Every time a raindrop hit the surface, ripples spread out, proving the area was indeed a lake. However, the water was not stained red; it maintained a pale blue hue.
The icy lake. I had reached the deepest part of the Nether, the place furthest from the world.
“What’s beyond that gate?”
[I cannot tell you. I cannot tell you.]
“I see.”
Whatever it was, my path was clear. I had heard that I needed to defeat the Gatekeeper of the icy lake. If that was the gate, then I knew my next destination.
I had to see Dorothy soon. If possible, I didn’t want her to see me in such a pitiful state.
I took out a clothing restoration kit from my magic pouch—a tool that automatically mended garments as long as fabric material was provided.
Shrrriick.
When I activated it, magical threads began mending the missing parts of my uniform. In moments, the fabric returned to its original state.
Good.
I stowed the kit and the pouch back away. I exhaled a long, deep breath.
I had managed to overcome the most formidable threat, the Nether King, with the help of Om and the Candy House Witch. Next was the Primordial Ice Sovereign, Veronica Aslius.
I had to defeat her.
[Status]
Mana: 146,100 / 701,300
The Status Window is working normally.
Was it because Ozma saw no need to provoke me right now? Or had she not given up on her plan to possess my body? Or perhaps she had made some sort of covenant with Stella?
In any case, the Status Window’s functions were still active.
I’ve used up a lot of mana.
I needed to recover enough mana to face Veronica by the time I reached that massive gate. But there was no time to wait for a full recovery. I had to move as quickly as possible to confront Vuel, the Winged Heavenly Being.
[We are arriving at the icy lake. We are arriving at the icy lake.]
Eventually, the elevator reached the surface of the lake, and the doors slid open.
Freezing air seeped into my lungs and wrapped around my skin. It was an extreme cold that would have killed an ordinary person the moment the doors opened. Since I also exuded cold, I was able to endure it.
Despite the downpour of blood rain, the icy lake remained remarkably pristine. I carefully conjured a long rock rod and extended it outside. There was no reaction when the blood rain hit it. It seemed the rain itself wasn't corrosive or harmful.
Next, I dipped the rod into the lake. The floor of this place was water. I didn't know if the entire region was like this, but I had to be cautious.
It won't go in.
It felt as if an invisible floor was blocking the rod. It seemed the water was incredibly shallow—perhaps only enough to wet the soles of my shoes.
However, the blood rain dispersed and sank deep below the surface the moment it touched the water. In reality, the lake had to be incredibly deep.
I stepped onto the lake. It supported my weight, ripples spreading out from my footsteps.
There must be specific conditions for submerging.
Whatever those conditions were, I didn't meet them for now. I stepped out of the elevator and placed both feet firmly onto the icy lake.
[Please use our service again. Please use our service again. Farewell.]
The face inside the elevator bid me goodbye before the doors closed. The elevator ascended with a low rumble, disappearing beyond the reddish clouds.
Let’s go.
I took my first step forward.