Day Six: The Jewel Princess and the Depths of Her Soul
Day six of my reunion with the jewel Adelin Aynis, who was slowly regaining her light. At long last, her cheeks had filled out plumply, incomparable to our first meeting, and the dark circles even deeper than a panda's had vanished entirely. Adelin welcomed me into her secret laboratory.
"…You're here?"
"What's with that getup?"
She'd traded her usual attire for an extravagantly ornate dress adorned with every conceivable accessory, her face fully made up besides. I didn't hide my blatant surprise, and Adelin glanced down at herself in silence for a moment before shrugging lightly.
"The bare minimum courtesy… for everyone involved."
"Courtesy for everyone? What the hell does that mean?"
"It means if I happen to die today, I've made sure to doll myself up so no one has to fuss over funeral preparations. That way, you can leave this kingdom without any loose ends."
"…Appreciate the thought, but I have no intention of letting you die."
"…?"
Adelin's iridescent eyes, now faintly regaining their brilliant sheen, widened as if she'd misheard me. Of course, I wasn't saying this out of some noble forgiveness or for her sake alone. It was purely pragmatic—if I could purify someone who'd barely clung to life, her body still unrestored, into a state where she could act on her own…
Then the next steps—purifying Selina or tackling the All Corruption Fall plaguing the Dersian Kingdom—would be far smoother. And only then could I safely rescue Raysilla. That single reason was why I was determined to save Adelin Aynis.
Reading my expression, she seemed to grasp my intent instantly. Composing herself, Adelin began her preparations with deliberate slowness. She hiked up the hem of her lavish dress and climbed onto the simple cot, settling into position.
"It's probably pointless to say this now… but whatever your reasons, it doesn't matter. The only reason I'm still breathing is you, Kail. So anything beyond that between us is unnecessary."
"……."
I wondered briefly what she meant by that. But it didn't warrant dwelling on. I had no intention of trading sappy sentiments or empty comforts either.
I sat cross-legged opposite her, took a deep breath, and steeled myself. Just like when resolving the root of Species Creation Fall. This time, I'd dive straight into Adelin Aynis's mental world and rip out the power fused to her very soul.
"…Let's begin."
"Yes."
I synchronized the faint Jewel Magic mana emanating from her body with my White Purification, slowly attuning them. My vision gradually blurred, tinnitus ringing in my ears. Just before my consciousness fully faded, I issued my final warning.
"No matter what, hold on until the end. The instant you lose focus or black out, your whole body will petrify right there and you'll die."
"Worry about yourself."
Adelin met my gaze with confident defiance. For some reason, her multicolored eyes seemed to shine more brilliantly than ever today.
"Kail, this last chance you've given me… I won't let it slip away."
"Good to hear."
With her resolute declaration, my consciousness was sucked into the depths of her mental world, where her soul tangled with the Blood Creation Lord's power.
"……."
It felt like surfacing abruptly from a deep slumber. I drew in a massive breath and exhaled, forcing my eyes open with effort.
The first thing filling my sight was enormous crystal walls enclosing everything. An endless cavern, as if I'd burrowed into a colossal glacier. But these walls weren't ice.
They brimmed with fist-sized rubies and sapphires. Emeralds and amethysts gleaming ethereally, obsidian and opals, and finally razor-sharp diamond crystals. To an ordinary person, it would be a breathtaking vista that stopped the breath.
But I had no time to admire the illusory beauty.
"…Disgustingly entangled."
I tore my gaze from the gems, which now shimmered even more alluringly as if vying for attention, and scanned the crevices between them.
Amid the dazzling jewels, red, viscous blood and pulsing veins writhed like heartbeats. The horrific fusion of Einiss's radiant talent and the Blood Creation Lord's cursed power.
And as if sensing the intruder—me—the blood seeping from the gems coalesced in midair, forming grotesque organ-like shapes. Far more potent and vicious than in practice, the demonic energy lashed out in warning. Dripping, plopping—viscous slime rained down relentlessly.
"Fine by me."
I gripped the hilt of the sword at my waist and lowered my stance.
"I'll burn it all as fast as I can."
Refined sharper through trials with Selina, my White Purification enveloped my body, emanating pure white aura. I kicked off the ground fiercely and swung at the blood-red organs taking grotesque form.
The true purification had begun.
At that moment, in Adelin Aynis's private underground laboratory. On the simple cot, Kail and Adelin sat facing each other, hands clasped, utterly motionless.
To be precise, blood trickled ceaselessly from Adelin's mouth, while Kail breathed raggedly, brows furrowed deeply. The fierce battle raging in the mental world reverberated fully into their flesh…
And left them both in perfect vulnerability.
From the shadowed corner of the darkened lab, dozens of masked eyes fixed on the delectable prey like starving beasts.
The man at the forefront drew a small communication orb from his bosom.
His voice rose with excitement, already savoring the mission's completion and the rewards to come.
"Tracking down this hidden lab deep under the palace cost us heavy losses. You'll make sure our compensation is substantial, right?"
"Haha, music to my ears."
That promise was all he needed. Pocketing the orb, the man turned and snapped his fingers. Nearly twenty assassins emerged from the shadows, drawing weapons in unison. Poison-coated daggers glinted ominously in the lab's dim light.
"Kill them."
With his curt order, the assassins vaulted from ceiling and walls, surging toward the cot. Ten meters. Five. Three.
The four leading assassins lunged, daggers aimed at the defenseless pair's throats—
"Knew it."
Atop a thick pipe on the lab ceiling, so perfectly blended with the darkness that even these elite killers—self-proclaimed pros—hadn't noticed. A shadow dropped lightly with a sigh.
"This is why I said we should've done it outside the kingdom…"
Murmuring worry laced with mild irritation, a silver flash lanced out.
Schwick! Schwick! Schwick! Schwick!
"Wha… what?"
"Wh-what the…"
The four airborne assassins didn't even register what hit them. Heads severed from necks.
Splurt—!!
Blood fountained skyward from the stumps, raining crimson. Amid the deluge, the lithe figure landed gracefully—silver-haired cat beastkin Selina, tail swishing.
She flicked blood from her twin daggers and tilted her head up, vertical pupils glowing fiercely at the remaining foes.
"Too late for regrets."
Gritting her teeth, Selina crouched protectively over the man on the cot.
"But from now on, I won't let him get hurt again."
"Damn it! That's the hero party's thief, Selina!!"
"The one who faced the Demon King! Fight for your lives from here!!"
Thus, brutal combat erupted both within the mental world and without.
How long had I spent purifying the Blood Creation Lord's power, scouring her mental world? As the foul stench and metallic reek tormenting me—despite this not being reality—finally began to fade,
Something approached from afar.
At first, I assumed it was a minion conjured by the power to defend itself in this mental realm.
But as it drew nearer, the figure reflected in the light-refracting crystals was utterly unlike my expectation.
Indigo hair shimmering so radiantly it stirred thoughts of beauty on sight alone, posture arrogantly erect.
"You…?"
What I'd mistaken for a blood kin was, in truth, the mental guardian every prodigy harbors deep in their psyche.
In the form of Adelin Aynis from her purest, most arrogant childhood—untouched by the world's harsh winds.
Spotting me, the guardian approached without hesitation, as if long awaited, striding confidently.
Ignoring the hideous gems encrusting her cheeks entirely, she gently took my hand.
Without a word of explanation, she led me deeper into the endless crystal cavern.