Abyssal Awakening

"Now that we've got this sorted, have there been any changes with the Eye? I felt it almost awaken not long ago, which I assume to be during your fight with the Cultist," Allura asked as she wanted to know the changes Alice felt.

Depending on how close the Eye was to awakening, they might have to prepare Alice for her second and third Sigil a little earlier than she had hoped.

"Hmm… Not sure. It said the time of awakening is nigh but then fell asleep right after. It did give me some new powers though."

"Oh? Care to explain?" Allura raised an eyebrow.

"If I look at someone, I can see their Sigils based on what's above their head, as well as what the Sigils look like. Like Ria has three and the person called Wess had four." Alice explained while pointing above her own head.

"Is that so… How many Sigils can you see above my head?"

Hearing this, Alice paused slightly before glancing above Allura once more. She was curious earlier and had already peeked at Allura, but the result confused her. It showed both Allura and Gin had 6 Sigils, but Alice knew they were more powerful than that, at least from the conversations she'd heard about them so far.

"Six Sigils."

"Only six? We still have quite a bit of time then. We'll need to hurry once you can see more than six. Though I don't believe this kind of power will help you defeat a four Sigil bearer, especially one from the Cult of the Eclipse. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you.

I'm just asking because I'm curious about what happened so that I can plan some stuff around it." Allura shrugged while taking out a cigarette and lighting it up with her finger.

". . ."

Alice was hesitant.

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'Allura's helped me out a lot and Ria already saw what happened that day. Even though she's promised not to tell anyone, it might be better if I found out what this power was. I knew my body rejected Abyss Blood, but I don't think it extends to Sigil power… Could it be part of the abilities granted by the Eye?' Alice contemplated to herself before opening her mouth.

It was something that never occurred when she was in the Zenia family, so she doubted it had something to do with her own body. Moreover, she wanted to trust Allura. She wanted to trust the person who's done so much for her, so she mixed the truth with some lies to protect herself.

"I don't know what happened. Randomly through the fight, I was able to… borrow their Sigil powers after I drank their blood. We used that to surprise the Cultist and managed to kill him in the end." Alice explained as Allura fell silent.

Furrowing her brows, she contemplated for a moment before opening her mouth.

"Do you still have access to that power?"

Shaking her head, Alice watched as Allura fell silent once more.

"Hmm… I didn't think that would be available to you so soon, but so be it. You already know that the Eye is something tied deeply to the Abyss. It's a little strange, but perhaps that's simply a byproduct of having the Eye implanted into you. Either way, if it's a temporary boost, then its good news for you.

Drinking too much blood before your body is able to handle it is very detrimental for you." Allura patted Alice's head before standing up.

"Since I'm pretty happy with your progress thus far, along with your performance at the spar, I think it's about time we think about what you want to hunt for your second Sigil. If we're lucky, we'll be able to get this done before a fight breaks out between Zadash and the Cultists, who seem to be preparing an attack through the passageways into the next layer of the Abyss."

Hearing this, a glimmer of excitement appeared in Alice's eyes as she couldn't wait to see what ability she would gain next.

"Let's discuss this while we walk back. Give me some options that you're interested in and I'll make a list for you of what beasts you can try to designate as your Sigil target." Allura suggested as she offered her hand for Alice to grab onto.

Grabbing Allura's hand, Alice was about to talk when she pulled her down. The two of them suddenly plummeted towards the ground.

Widening her eyes, Alice was unable to hold back a cry of panic. She didn't expect Allura to jump off so quickly.

Landing softly on the ground, Allura couldn't help but laugh after seeing Alice grab onto her as hard as she could, even to the point of wrapping her legs around her.

"Please! Warn me next time!" Alice panted as cold sweat poured down her back.

"Oh, but what's the fun in that? Ahahaha! But setting that aside, what kind of abilities are you looking for? Or shall I just get a list of blood-related abilities for you to choose from?" Allura asked as Alice thought to herself for a moment before pointing at her bracelet.

"Something that can help me manipulate blood. Or maybe let me heal from drinking blood. That way I can use the weapon better."

While it may seem like it was focusing heavily on her weapon, the ability to control blood would become very helpful for her, considering her physical attributes and the abilities of the Eye. If she was able to control blood, she would be able to drink her opponent's blood easier and gain their abilities while also being able to gather the blood from her surroundings.

If such options were open to her, it'd augment her versatility during a fight. Not only that, but the ability to control blood meant Alice would be able to prepare traps easily and even have her own blood invade her enemy's body.

"Alright, I'll figure something out. Make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight since tomorrow might be a rather tough day. I got a few interesting plans to help you train your physical body without Abyss Blood, as per your request." Allura smiled as Alice felt a chill down her spine.

If Allura described it as tough then Alice knew she had to prepare herself for hell.

Once they were back at the tavern, Allura made sure Alice got back to her room safely before leaving the building to go out on a midnight stroll.

Hearing that Alice was able to borrow the powers of others, Allura was reminded of an era of old.

'Every day I am reminded of your passing…' Allura sighed to herself as she walked out of the city.

She was going to explore some of the passageways Neal's men had discovered near the city and take care of any stray beasts that might've appeared to extend the time they had before the attack began.

Allura had no idea where the Cultists were gathering, and searching every single pathway was simply too much effort for so little gain. After all, she could just wait for them to bunch up and arrive as a large group.

'The White Death is a little concerning, but I doubt I'll need to get involved. Gin should have it covered. It'll be good for the girls, too, since they'll be able to see what a stronger resonance looks like. The real question is how they managed to kill an Abyss Lord that's been sealed away.

Their vitality is not something some random grunts of the Cult can extinguish and transform into a new beast that I've never seen or heard of.'

Allura thought to herself as she transformed into a flash of light that blazed through the sky before arriving at the Inferno Tower Ruins.

It had been left unattended due to the potential risks. Even if they had someone stand guard, how would they survive against a horde of beasts and Cultists on top of that?

Jumping down the passage, Allura could feel the temperature drop, but it didn't bother her.

According to Alice and Ria, they had met a Shasura within that passage.

'I doubt it'll show up to fight me, though,' Allura thought to herself. However, just as she thought that, she could see the shadow of the Shasura appear as it prepared to launch its tail at her.

Sighing in annoyance, Allura simply narrowed her eyes at the beast as the tail came to a halt in mid air. It dared not move a single muscle, as doing so spelt death.

"Good. Now go bother someone else." Allura extinguished her cigarette and walked away as the beast did not hesitate to hide itself in the mist, avoiding her as best as it could.

Walking through the passage, Allura continued to descend further into the depths of the Abyss, not caring about the dangers.

Nothing there could harm her.

###

"Archibishop Mahri, I believe we have gathered all the beasts that are willing to listen in this area of the Howling Depths," A cloaked figure reported as Mahri nodded her head.

"Don't rush, give it some time. There will be more beasts that'll arrive soon. It will bolster the army and give the White Death more sacrifices to indulge itself upon." Mahri smiled deviously as she watched the beast in question standing still, listening to her every command.

Around it, several cultists were carving large ritualistic symbols using specialised tools granted by the Cult. Once their preparations are done, the beast would've participated in two rituals.

The ritual of famine and now, the ritual of war. With both rituals completed, he will be able to gain the Eclipse God's blessing, becoming a beast that few could trifle with.

Smiling at the thought, Mahri watched silently as they continued to carve markings upon the flesh of the beast.