Shadow of the Abyss

Thunder and hail crackled over the Serpents Outreach with a boom that shook the realm. Rumbles roiled beneath the earth's crust, stirring the snow into sinkholes for miles on end. Mountains that once stood for centuries crumbled, unable to bear the cruelty of the Elements.

And as if the world was ending, Altair stepped through the storm with confidence that wouldn't allow him to place the destruction in his eye.

Not when he was so close.

In front of him stood a small, dark, misty whisk of energy, given to him by Archeon to track Tania as promised. He'd pulled it from the system the moment he'd left against Reina's wishes. He didn't wish for her to see him like this. To see what would happen when he devoured the soul tainted by Madness.

Nor how much he was going to enjoy gorging himself.

During the past year, he'd devoured many souls, experiencing hundreds of lives, each granting him insight and perspective. At some point, Altair stopped devouring souls, hoping to gain a skill or a stat. Rather, he desperately wanted to experience life and death, which was as maddening as it was intoxicating.

The more he ate, the easier it became to control what he saw and experience what others felt, allowing him to retain his sense of being without it becoming tainted by outside forces. A feat he'd taken great pride in.

'Ring~around~the~Rosie, a~pocket~full~of~posies" A soft, gentle voice echoed through the misty forest. 'Ashes~Ashes~We~All~Fall~Down!!!!!"

The sounds of gunfire quickly took off, crackling through the storm, followed by heavy shouts and screams, pleads of mercy, alongside promises of riches. But the only thing that seemed to come was the gut-wrenching screams, followed by the nursery rhyme.

'Ring~around~the~Rosie, a~pocket~full~of~hearts, Organs~Organs~! We~All~Fall~Down." Spry with laughter, Tania stood drenched with the nectar of her family. Her extremities were far different from what Altair had remembered.

The hammerhead of the Aros estate was no more. What stood frolicking through a geyser of blood and death was an enchantress. One with pale snow-white skin. Her once hideous feature was gone as if wished away. In contrast, her smile and eyes seemed to carry a seductive charm to them, tempting the hearts of many men and women alike.

Tania raised her head, covering her mouth, as she pointed to Altair, who had not bothered to mask his presence. "It's you! It's really you! Altair!"

Altair stepped out of the snowy forest without hesitation, ignoring the slaughter around him. He stopped a meter distance from her. "How do you like your Hell?" He asked her.

She giggled shamelessly. " What Hell? This is Heaven!" she spun, splashing blood over the snow.

The boy chuckled, glancing around indifferently at her handly work. Most appeared to be slavers, but he counted a few Aros Members in the mix. "I'll take your word for it. But we'll see what your soul has to say."

The bloodstained sword in Tania's palm suddenly beamed, cutting through the air like a ray of light, missing as Altair inched backward. His calm eyes glanced at her sword and then at her poor swordsmanship and back to her.

Name: Tania Aros [Poisoned]

Class: Hell Knight Lv 13 (New)

Bloodline: Phoenix

Str: 14 → 15

Dex: 10 → 12

Con: 14 → 16

Wis: 1

Cha: 1

Mana: 5 → 7

Skills: [Swordsmanship (F+)], [Phoenix Flame (F)], [Engineering (F)], [Archery (F)], [Infernal Lightning (D)], [Shield(F)], [Phoenix Form I (F)]

"Is that all?"  The boy asked. He sounded bored. And with a flash of his foot against her abdomen, carrying the force of a battering ram. A thunderous shockwave stirred the snow. Dark black blood sprayed over his cheeks as she barreled through the winter's snow, through trees three meters in length like wet paper.

By the time Tiana had lifted her head, her ribs had shattered beyond repair. Altair appeared, like an apparition, and slammed his foot against her skull, his eyes as hard as stone. He pressed down harder till he heard the cracking of her skull, drowning the disappointment in snow. "I'd hope you'd have changed, have grown significantly with the help of Madness. But I was wrong. What a waste.

You were even given a new class."

Tania roared with rage, unable to bear the humiliation that began to overwhelm her Madness. She cried desperately, struggling to lift herself, digging her bloodstained fingers over the ground until they tore and broke. When she coughed up mouthfuls of blood, unable to keep it down. Tania glared with feral abandonment at the boy. She'd never hated someone more.

But as if a ton weighed over her tender skull, she could only flail her arms and legs helplessly.

Altair looked up at the grey skies, shaking his head. " Are humans so weak?"

[Divine Sin, "Gram' folds his arms in agreement.]

[Divine Being, 'Strahasad' disagrees with your naive assessment. And wishes you seek out worthy foes.]

The boy looked down at Tania. "Why have you not used Infernal Lightning? Surely you are aware of the difference in strength?" He asked her as Mana Cycled through his body. Presence gathered at his will, crashing down with greater force than the hellish elements. He shook his head at the lack of response and sighed. "What a pity.

г!εα!ɗ*-ϻ%о+гҽ$-#∂&τ-+

Just die."

Enigmatic Step

(A/N: Gifted to Altair before he stepped into the Serpents Outreach by Tene.)

Like a watermelon popping, an earth-shattering explosion ripped through the forest as a ten-meter-wide crater shredded Tania to a smooth paste, barely leaving any sort of bits. Altair opened his palm wrapped with the aura of Fallen Necromancy.

[Tania Aros Felled. Exp Gained.]

Black flames coiled around his palm, trailing into the void to the broken Soul Flame that was Tania.

[Soul Flame of Tania Aros acquired.]

[Soul Assimilation: Two Hours]

[Archeon: Well, that was boring… what the hell?]

[Daddy: It was a human. What do you expect.]

[Piercing Owl: Wasn't she like… nearly four years older?]

[Titan Fall: Bitch said Hi, and bye, lol.]

[Troller: No tea bag action? Weak!]

Altair glanced at the forest behind him, slowly leaving the crater, his perception picking up three intelligent lifeforms. "Come out…" He commanded, his voice whipping out with authority, compelling the three hidden soldiers out of hiding.

One by one, they fell to their knees before him, eyes bleeding profusely as they dared not look up to what felt like a god gorging his finger through their eyes. Never had such a person's voice captured their minds and bodies.

"Who's the leader?"Unable to resist the Prince's voice, the one in the center of the three raised a hand. Two heads dropped into the snow, their headless bodies staining the forest a bright red. Altair ignored the chimes of the system and opened up a conversation. "Did you see what I did?"

Captain Smith nodded, trembling, too petrified to find the words to speak. Altair saw this but didn't diminish his authority over the man. He wanted him sweating. Praying for dear life.

"Now that Tania is dead. What is your mission?"

Smith gulped. "To… find you… My Lord."

"Hmmm. Dead or alive?"

"Alive"

"And Reina? The girl I travel with?"

"Alive," he repeated as the hot piss warmed his legs. He shuddered, so frightened he dared not even meet the demon's eye.

"I see… then you can go. Go and tell them what you saw. " Altair said, laughing, dropping his presence. He stretched and took his leave without notice, having done all he intended.

When Smith had heard this, all the strength left his body the second Altair was out of sight. He tumbled over, his heart an array of fear, relief, and thankfulness, all intertwining with one another. "I'm done… I'm retiring at fourteen. Fuck this… Fuck it. That was no eleven-year-old but a demon wrapped in sheep's clothing.

Bloody Hells...' Tears weltered through the young man's eyes as he closed them shut, unable to find the strength to stand. It was only until then, when the storm had ended, that his strength returned. By then, he had been buried six feet under.

Days later, when he stepped out of the portal entrance. He broke down before the Armed Gunmen, bearing his heart before the Aros Family about the Demon of the Serpents Outreach. He cried and cried, howling the truth to those who would listen.

"Altair is a Demon!" He roared as the knights and medics rushed to him. " He's a Demon! Please, you have to listen to me?! Listen! He's a demon! A Monster!"

Ser Liaway watched coldly, tasting the bile at the back of his throat. "Another wasted asset... but it seems Altair has come out of hiding." He said, turning to Tunan. "Put a bullet in that kid's head after you downloaded his mind into the NAV. Have our analysis spot-check every nook and cranny for a weakness. This issue has gotten larger than it needed to."

"Ser?" Tunan glanced at his grim Father.

"Look around you.' Liaway said, spitting bile through his gap teeth. 'Look at how our people are talking. Whispering to each other."

It had taken a moment for the realization to hit him as he frowned deeply. "Altair... left him alive to spread discord among the ranks."

"Aye." Ser Liaway said. "And if word were to get out, can you imagine how much humiliation we would face?"

"Or how much help Altair might receive?" Tunan muttered, glancing at his Father. He saluted, "I'll get on it, Ser."

Liaway glanced at his son leave and feebly looked up a the grey skies. "It's too late, my boy. There are sure to have been spies watching. This incident will surely grow in size. What a mess. What a damn mess."

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