Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 899: A God’s Wrath
Stepping out from the aftermaths of the battle, Astrelya sat down by a boulder. There was a small smile on her face, happy but not quite satisfied yet.
Yet.
She placed her rusted sword to her left and tapped the pommel. The blade itself turned to ash, drifting off into the wind, leaving behind tiny motes of starlight that faded away.
Ria’s made great improvements in the short time she’s been trapped here.
In due time, her mastery of her new powers will make her a dangerous opponent for sure. But not quite there when it comes to her final euphoric battle.
Ria won’t give her the focus and dedication.
Though... she had her methods.
For now, she’ll stay patient.
Looking at her right shoulder, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
In the aftermath of that battle, Ria had actually ripped through her barriers and tore off her right arm in its entirety!
The lingering lightning attacked her flesh, stopping regeneration and becoming an issue to most Lords.
Though... she wasn’t an ordinary Lord.
Tilting her body slightly, a burst of energy erupted from her shoulder, erasing the lightning and thus triggering her regeneration.
From the energy, bone was first reconstructed then flesh and finally skin.
Clenching her arm a few times, Astrelya furrowed her brows.
Shaking her head, she looked at Ria who was passed out in a crater and flicked over a droplet of blood to heal her.
And while Ria was being healed, Astrelya walked away.
The starlight behind her continued to dim one by one until all starlight faded away.
In her shadow, rusted swords slowly appeared. Their blades ringing in the wind, harmonising to form a voice.
Enris’s voice.
"You seem to be having a fun time. I’m jealous~" She chuckled.
"What is there to be jealous of? I thought I was going to be the one to test out Alice and you testing out dear Ria." Astrelya closed one eye with a shrug.
"That was the original plan yes. But who knew Nyer was crazier than I expected. How long has he been preparing that false divinity I wonder." Enris laughed.
"If anything, I’m jealous of you. You already made contact with Alice while I’m down here." Astreyla pouted.
"Hm~ How long do you think she realises it’s me?"
"Why are you asking me? Shouldn’t that be your issue if anything. Astreyla rolled her eyes.
"Why not ask you? Between the two of us, you’re the one with power right now. I’m just a civilian."
After saying this, the swords began to disappear as Astrelya furrowed her brows with a sigh.
One’s a civilian while the other is on a time limit.
###
Walking through the long white corridors, Gwen neither smiled nor frowned.
She simply thought this was over the top as with everything Solaris did.
Every pillar, every wall, polished to perfection.
But Solaris never set foot into this place.
No, he simply ordered his people to do so. A demonstration of their faith while he simply watched.
A slothful god who sat upon a throne he did not deserve.
A god who subjected people like her father to his whims.
Gritting her teeth, veins bulged on the back of Gwen’s hand as she paused and took a deep breath to calm herself.
Thankfully, she was able to save her father. But it couldn’t change the fact that he overexerted himself to create a barrier for everyone he could in the north. Those that remained anyways.
Even with her flames, the most she could do was sustain his life for now. Neither getting worse nor better.
As for her aunty... she’s taken a break from her duties as well.
Having lost her eye in that battle, she needed time to readjust herself to the lack of depth.
Closing her eyes, Gwen felt the fire buried deep inside.
She could feel it burning yet she couldn’t harness its full power.
If she did... Maybe she could’ve helped heal Shiera’s eye.
But what’s done is done.
And right now, Solaris wanted to meet her.
Continuing down the corridor, her footsteps echoed out until she finally reached a set of giant white and gold doors.
There were no guards needed.
Why would a God need such a futile thing?
Pushing open the door, Gwen held back her expression of disgust as she set her eyes upon the man who sat facing his city.
"Guinevere answering your summons." Gwen announced as she stood straight with her hands behind her back.
This was merely formality, a requirement for all who heed the summons of Solaris. For a man who requested this from his people, he didn’t bother acknowledging the effort yet would rage when people didn’t perform as he had asked.
Solaris didn’t answer and she couldn’t leave until he did.
A demonstration of his authority, his control over his subjects.
He simply let her stand in silence while he overlooked his city bathed in radiant gold from the light of the sun.
This silence stretched on as seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours.
Solaris didn’t speak and neither did Gwen.
It was only after the 12th hour did Solaris finally raise his hand slightly.
"What do you think?"
"Of what, your radiance?" Gwen answered, not showing any signs of fatigue despite being forced to stand in silence for 12 hours.
She simply treated this as a meditation.
"Of this city bathed in my light."
Gwen’s eyelashes trembled for a moment.
"Pitiful." She answered truthfully, causing Solaris to laugh as the surrounding temperature began to rise.
"To call the city belonging to a God pitiful... aren’t you afraid of divine retribution? Or has achieving the rank of Lord propelled your arrogance to divine status?" Solaris asked, resting his cheek on his fist.
"Why act when you already know of my thoughts from the time I sought you out for a bounty." Gwen’s tone was neutral, sharp.
She didn’t waste time joking around with Solaris, simply saying things as they are.
"Indeed. Aren’t you going to thank me? For being merciful. To think I would give a precious bounty to one so devoid of faith towards me." Solaris smirked.
"It was not an act of mercy considering the fact that it was in fact a transaction."
"One that you have yet to fulfil." Solaris cut her off.
"And one where your ascension burned away the contract that we established. Now it has turned from a transaction to a gift, in such a situation, shouldn’t you still show gratitude?"
Gwen was silent for a moment.
"The original intention is still that of a transaction. Even if the situation has changed, forcing you to gift this me, it does not change the original fact. Therefore, I need not give you my gratitude."
"And what if your God demands that from you?" Solaris narrowed his eyes.
The temperature at this point has started to warp the air around them yet Gwen stood unfazed, her fire protecting her from Solaris’ wrath.
"Then I have no choice but to act against my own will." Gwen sighed.
"So you do know your place. To defy a God, who would walk away unscathed from such a heretical act?"
"One who defies the natural order." Gwen answered. In her mind, an image of Alice appeared and her lips curved up into a tiny smile.
Just for a split moment before returning back to normal.
"Yes. But are you such a person?" Solaris tapped his finger against the armrest.
"No." Gwen shook her head.
At least not for the time being.
But as the inheritor of the First Flame, she will become the second sun that overshadows Solaris.
With each tap of his finger, the temperature continued to rise. Each tap was done with more strength as a small cavity was formed on the armrest.
"Strip." Solaris narrowed his eyes.
Gwen furrowed her brows but made no such movements.
Solaris’s tapping stopped, a flood of energy surged through the room.
"Are you pretending to be deaf or shall I destroy those ears of yours to make it a reality. Consider yourself blessed to receive my favour for tonight." Solaris glanced back coldly.
"I’ll have to politely decline such an invitation your radiance. For nothing would disgust me more than having to serve you in body as a woman."
A vein bulged on Solaris’s neck as killing intent flooded the room.
Gwen stood unyielding.
She would rather break than bend her knee and serve Solaris in such a manner.
"Seems like becoming a Lord has truly made you arrogant. Rejoice, I will teach you where you stand in this hierarch-"
"Then I will simply kill myself and apologise to my father in the afterlife. My body is not for you to touch. Unless you are satisfied by a corpse. If so, you are truly more depraved than I had originally thought." Gwen maintained her neutral expression despite sharp words coming out of her mouth.
"Do think yourself powerful enough to end your own life before me?"
Solaris’s rage has reached its peak as he stood before her. His figure towering over her and flames roaring around him.
Gwen simply looked up in defiance.
"I will give up the chance of reincarnation if it means I don’t have to endure the displeasure of feeling you violate me."
She was not going to back down, even if the man in front of her is the Sun God.
She had no back up plan, no fails safes. And even if she did, what is it going to do against a God? She’ll simply put her trust in her first friend.
In the fact that Alice will no doubt avenge her should Solaris force her hand.
Gritting his teeth, Solaris glared at Gwen.
*BANG!!!
Gwen felt a wall of force slam into her as she crashed into the wall.
"Leave." Solaris ordered coldly.
"Thank you for your mercy."
Sitting back on his throne, Solaris tapped his leg in annoyance.
It was time for him to get some new Apostles and root out everything Gwen has done.
