Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 1006: Wound In The Sky

Alice frowned.

If the Nightmare was a parasite on the World Tree, she doubted Nyer would simply let it be destroyed. He wasn't someone careless enough to leave something like that unattended. If anything, he would be actively searching for a way to use it—perhaps even to usurp the different realms entirely.

The Abyss was off limits. Nyer was working toward Velouria's return. Destroying or destabilising it would defeat his own purpose.

As for the surface…

The three gods resided here. He might not fear them, but Alice doubted he wanted the trouble of all three turning their attention on him at once.

Which left only the Void.

As much as Alice wanted to believe Feris had everything under control… the lack of any movement from her was starting to worry her.

Creasing her brows, she let out a deep sigh and turned to Renna.

Since she knew about Feris and the Void…

"Say, do you know what Feris has been up to? I know she's not someone that made her presence known… But if a fourth realm has shown up, I don't think she's the type to just sit around doing nothing."

Renna raised an eyebrow.

"You're… asking me about her???"

Between the two of them, she thought Alice would be the one to know more about what Feris was doing right now.

But seeing the seriousness in Alice's eyes, Renna realised it was probably to do with the Void rather than anything else.

"I don't know. From the Sacred Grove, we can only observe the stability and current status of the Realms. Whether or not the Abyss is expanding and so on. The Void had always been a point of stability, never expanding nor retreating.

"It was just kind of… there. But recently, there's been signs of fraying around the edges. The realm is slowly breaking apart but Feris isn't doing anything about it." Renna admitted.

Alice exhaled slowly.

"Seems like it's bothering you quite a bit." Renna folded her arms.

"Was it that obvious?" Alice chuckled, pulling out a small bottle of mead.

"F*ck! Already? It's still the morning!" Renna stepped back in fear.

"What? You don't want some?" Alice narrowed her eyes.

Reaching for her pouch, she pulled out a second bottle for Renna to enjoy.

Swallowing her saliva, Renna accepted.

"Pft, I thought you had a job of making sure we don't cause mischief?"

"With Lab not being able to hide her aura, don't you think I can tell where she is at all times? As long as nothing major happens, a drink or two is fine. And…" Renna opened the bottle, taking a small sip.

"Out of everyone, you're the most dangerous. Keeping an eye on you means keeping an eye on the others." She smirked, narrowing her eyes at Alice who stuck out her tongue playfully.

She wasn't wrong after all.

"I have a slight inkling on what's happening behind the scenes." Alice focused back on the discussion at hand while sipping her drink.

"The person behind the Nightmare won't let things continue as they are. His goal is to manifest it properly as a real realm. To allow for the ascension or rather… The resurrection of a dead God."

Renna listened in silence.

"The surface will be left alone for now. The Nightmare needs something to attach to after all. The Abyss has something else keeping it stable."

By this point, Renna realised what Alice was saying.

"So the Void is now in the most danger. Feris is the only one looking after it and she's nowhere to be seen." She exhaled slowly as Alice nodded.

"If the culprit wants to make a move, they'll probably aim for the Void."

Renna thought about it for a moment as she considered the actions that she must take.

After a long pause, she finished her drink in one go.

"I'll notify someone and have them keep an eye on the Void. We might not be able to contact Feris but at least we'll be able to tell if the Nightmare tries anyth-"

*RUMBLE!!! BANG!!!

"!!!"

"!!!"

Renna couldn't even finish her sentence as a crushing pressure slammed down from the air above the city.

Both Alice and Renna were forced onto their knees as their head snapped towards the sky.

Above the city, a jagged crimson fissure ripped itself open as though a pair of invisible claws had split reality open from the other side of the figure.

The scarlet crack pulsed with malevolent energy, flickering like a wound in the world. At its core, a blazing ring of swirling red and black spun ominously, encircling a single crimson moon that hovered within.

Its sinister light darkened the world around it and from the fissure, blood encroached onto their reality, dying the world in red. Like a stain against a shirt, it bled across the heavens without stop.

Renna paled as she quickly stood up. Alice had a dark look on her face as well.

Through Cayla, she saw the invisible truth hidden to the naked eye.

Nightmare energy poured out of the wound in the sky without stop. It latched onto the energy of their realm in a manner not unlike Eldritch energy.

Adapting, corrupting.

Countless writhing tendrils that stretched and coiled like serpents reaching down into their world. Pulse one pulsating with a sick vitality too vile, too grotesque to be even classified as life.

A mutated mass of energy that lusted after their world.

It could only be described as an abomination.

Renna punched the ground as abyssal energy fought against the pressure, making it easier for Alice to move.

"I don't know what kind of influence you have but ask Lab if she can help evacuate the people. I need to contact the Grove." Renna shot Alice a glance before disappearing with a swirl of energy.

Alice gave the sky another glance before running towards Lab's energy.

Yet by the time she had arrived… it wasn't Lab who greeted her.

But rather…

Faust.

He stood atop a building with his arms folded. His gaze fixed onto the tear in space.

That… wound reflected in his eyes as he could feel the Nightmare energy pouring into the city.

It was different from the sieges that occurred in certain locations.

Those were done with the purpose of harvesting in mind.

But this?

This was not harvesting.

Far from it.

He creased his brows and let out a deep exhale.

Despite noticing Alice, he didn't turn.

"This is quite the issue." He spoke first.

"Do you know something?" Alice frowned.

"Of course. Who do you think I am?" Faust let out a dry chuckle.

Then, after a short pause, he flicked his fingers and a card could be seen trapped between it.

"Take a look yourself."

Catching the card that Faust tossed over, Alice saw that it was a reflection of all the cities that had been 'spared' of the mandatory Nightmare explorations.

These were the cities they classified as testing grounds.

And above them…

Above all of them… similar wounds could be seen.

Some progressed faster than the others, some struggled to propagate.

As for this city… it was some of the better ones.

"The Nightmare is encroaching on reality. It's sinking its teeth in and trying to take out a large bite." Faust explained before Alice could even ask.

Previously, the nation of Extalia could be considered as a piece of meat presented on a plate. Unseasoned yet presented all the same.

The Nightmare was the seasoning and now, the consumer was taking a bite.

Standing next to Faust, Alice stared at the tear.

"Just tell me what you want." Alice sighed.

The fact that Faust was here rather than anywhere else meant that he was probably looking for something from her.

Something that'll help him resolve an issue.

"Glad you catch on fast. I, or rather we, can halt the spread of Nightmare energy for now." Faust chuckled.

Alice creased her brows.

"Blood?"

"Blood." He nodded.

"There's been some experiments. Nothing too major yet. But I believe by using some of your blood with my authority, I can create a barrier that can isolate or repel the natural energies in our world." He admitted.

"Are you sure this isn't just a request for more blood so you can play around with it?"

"We signed the law did we not? Or do you want to sign a new one to make sure I'm not messing around?" Faust let out a hearty laugh.

Though he had to admit.

One part of him indeed wanted to use this moment to experiment a little.

To push Alice's blood to the limit and see how it deals with a threat like this.

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose.

She wanted to reject him but…

From what she could see through Cayla, it's clear that this outbreak wasn't going to slow down any time soon.

It's an open wound that keeps spitting out blood and they need to seal it.

Fast.

"Fine. But you're not taking it from my body." Alice snapped her finger.

Her Sigils trembled with energy as blood started to appear around her feet.

In a sense, it was rather reminiscent of the scene above them.

Only this time, Alice was the cause of the flood of blood below.

Twirling her finger, she condensed it into several floating orbs.

"This enough?" Alice asked as Faust blinked his eyes.

"For this city maybe. But I think I'll need a bit more when it comes to the other places."

Alice's smile twitched. He could tell she was still holding back.

"Tch. Just make sure you seal it up properly."

With a grin on his face, Faust snapped his finger as the sky started to ripple.

Pieces peeled away one by one as cards started to fall.