Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 954: A Deal With The Devil

Days passed in the blink of an eye.

While the staff worked tirelessly to dismantle the secrets of the Nightmare, Grand Cathia only grew louder with discontent.

Alice walked through the streets, hands in her pockets.

She stared at the children first.

They were the easiest to notice.

Some clung to their parents with an intensity that bordered on desperation, fingers digging into fabric as though afraid they might vanish if they let go. Others sat quietly on steps or crates, staring into nothing, eyes unfocused.

Awake, but not present.

Adults fared a little better.

They forced a look of composure in order to keep the other calm. If they break down, what about the ones they’re trying to protect?

All they can do is whisper words of comfort even though they don’t truly believe it themselves.

Forced laughter, strained smiles.

Even though the siege had been repelled, the lingering aftereffects of the Nightmare had not changed.

Every time the Nightmare appeared, their bodies were granted rest but their minds were taxed. ’Sleep’ without peace. Waking up only to feel the lingering dread of the siege and the next Nightmare.

Alice exhaled slowly.

[It looks pretty miserable doesn’t it?] Cayla folded her arms with a sigh.

’I don’t blame them. Their survival is hinged on whether or not the Siege is repelled. And even then, they have to worry about the Nightmare.’ Alice shook her head.

If they wanted to leave... where would they even go?

Could they travel far enough before the next Nightmare struck?

What if they were killed by beasts in the wilds instead, torn apart on roads instead of the city?

And say they survived. They make it to the next city.

The Nightmare was still present. The other cities will face sieges sooner or later. They had to leave Extalia entirely.

If they succeed... What next? They have no home, and don’t know why they left.

And the Nightmare still left its mark on them.

A mother passed by Alice, tugging her child along while whispering reassurances she clearly didn’t believe herself. The child glanced back, eyes briefly meeting Alice’s.

There was no fear in that gaze.

Just exhaustion.

Alice’s steps slowed.

She clenched her jaw and said nothing.

There were always people with power who made the world ugly.

More so in situations like this where an individual like Nyer can plunge an entire nation into hell.

Taking a deep breath, she let out a sigh to calm her mind.

But even if this place was hell, there are still people trying to make it better.

The staff working tirelessly to solve the riddles of the Nightmare, the soldiers who offered their lives up for exploration.

Suyin and the others improving their defences and odds of success.

Elias who tried to keep casualties to a minimum.

Everyone was struggling, but not everyone gave up.

So...

Even if there were some risks required from her, it was time to take a slight gamble.

A leap of faith.

[Are you sure that’s what you want to do?] Cayla asked.

She wasn’t a big fan of the plan Alice had in mind.

’What else can we do? The longer we take to dismantle this Nightmare, the harder it is for us to recover.’ Alice smiled bitterly.

’We’re the ones on a timer, not Nyer. If anything, he’d prefer us to take our time.’ She shook her head.

’That’s one thing. But... are you sure her goals align with ours? She’s a bit of a wildcard right now and our lack of knowledge is dangerous.’ Alyss frowned.

’Which is why it’s best to make a deal with that woman. Even if it’s a bit risky right?’

Alyss scratched her hair.

It’s like picking between two broken bridges. One was completely broken with maybe one or two plants available.

While the other was nothing but rope that could break at any moment.

Naturally, they’ll choose the plank and hope it’ll suffice, even if it is dangerous.

’Do we have any failsafes in case anything happens?’ Alyss asked.

She at least wanted to make sure Alice had a method of escape if things go south.

’Kind of? There’s not really anything we could use to test it so this’ll be the first attempt.’ Alice stuck out her tongue.

In order to avoid being stuck in the Nightmare, she had used the data that Suyin gathered along with the data that Miki and her group found.

On top of these two, she also used the training she received from Griselda to set up the parameters of her triggered cast.

If everything goes well, the moment her vitals go haywire from a third party influence, it’ll drag her soul back into her body.

Essentially, she’s ’devouring’ herself but not finishing the process.

Of course, this could also be triggered manually if needed.

As for the exit path...

Alice plans on setting one up the moment she enters the Nightmare.

To establish a link through the branch in Plume’s room.

And... depending on how the talk goes, she might even be able to get more than what she originally expected.

Making her way back to the research lab, Alice gave the setting sun one more glance before stepping into the building.

"Yahoo~ Did you enjoy the walk?" Suyin asked without turning around.

Her puppet doing some last minute checks so that nothing goes wrong.

"If you count looking at the faces of people being depressed enjoyable then I suppose it was a rather decent walk." Alice shrugged, glancing at the bracelet marked with her name on the table.

"Put that on before you step into the Nightmare, it’ll let us track you a little easier." Suyin reminded.

Once the last minute checks were done, Alice stepped into this strange chamber.

Wires was stuck onto her body while machinery monitored her vitals.

Now that she was standing in this chamber, Alice found herself struggling a little to stay still.

If there was any silver lining, it would be that she wasn’t restrained using belts.

If she was, then she might have some bad memories with the time she endured in the Zenia family.

Taking a deep breath, the corners of Alice’s vision began to darken.

She could feel the claws of the Nightmare baring down on her.

’See you soon twinnie.’ Alyss smiled.

Knowing that their goal was to reconvene in the Nightmare.

’See you soon.’ Alice nodded.

With a single blink, the world faded to black.

The chill of the northern winds scraped against her skin and she was back in the Nightmare.

Without hesitation, Alice resonated with the branch and sensed the points where she could teleport to.

Then, in the furthest reaches of the branch, she sensed the checkpoint in Plume’s room.

Alice linked herself up.

Fog began to roll in while butterflies fluttered around her.

In mere moments, her body was turned to fog and left the Northern Zone.

"Ughh..... *sniffle* I’m sorry..."

A familiar voice could be heard as Alice opened her eyes.

She noticed two figures in Plume’s room.

One was naturally Plume herself.

She was holding a strange sign, however.

[I, Plumeaelivressandoria Sorynthel-Nessaevor, am a stupid idiot for creating a branch in my room. A branch that can’t be reversed and has now allowed a player to enter a zone where they’re not meant to be. I deserve everything Monika does to me.]

"Hello there little flame. I apologise, I had originally intended to greet you in the Northern Zone again when you came back." Monika smiled while her hands were grabbing Plume’s head like a basketball.

"However, I did not expect this stupid shut in to create a branch of all things for you."

For a moment, Alice could’ve sworn she heard a crack coming from Plume’s head as she cried out louder with tears streaming down her face.

"Mistakes happen all the time. And seeing as how you’re here, can I assume you saw this coming?" Alice shrugged her shoulders.

Monika finally let go of Plume’s head and snapped her fingers, creating two seats and the table for them.

Meanwhile, Plume scrambled away, hiding herself under her blanket.

"To some degree. I’m well aware that you are not someone who wishes to play along with the whims of our boss. So naturally, when given the opportunity to transcend this system that he has created, you will take that chance." Monika explained, pouring herself a cup of tea while offering the same to Alice.

She half expected Alice to reject but blinked when she saw Alice tap her side of the table.

A smile curved on her face.

"Ah~ it seems like I was a little off." Monika poured Alice a cup of tea.

"You’re not here to transcend the Nightmare. You’re here for the Witch. Me." She rested her chin on her palm, amusement sparking in her eyes.

"You have no idea how I’ve waited for this moment. The times I’ve seen the cogs shift around you but yet you never interact with them. Possibilities flying by, options never chosen.

"The myriad of rewards you could’ve gotten yet at the same time..." She trailed off, voice dripping with venom.

"The instances where you managed to avoid death. You are a strange one. Having so many triggers yet somehow avoiding the worst-case scenarios. Is it simply luck? Or perhaps... Was it orchestrated?"

"Whatever it is, I believe we will both gain something from this exchange my dear. So please, tell me. What do you wish to request of me?" Monika asked.

Alice glanced at her reflection in the cup of tea.

In this moment, she felt like she was making a deal with the devil.