Shadow of the Abyss

In the following weeks, that came and went faster than a blink of an eye. Blood had washed the children's hands and blades more times than they'd taken breaths. It was as if they each had targets on the back of their heads. Serpents, alongside odd creatures risen by the Moon, flooded them several times a day without end.

Overlooking the mountaintop clouded by snowfall, Altair cleaned his sword of blood with silvery sheets of snow billowing from the heavens with a harmless grin. His innocent expression doing nothing but irritate the young girl.

"How can you still smile…" Reina moaned, crash-landing into foamy snow, allowing the icy cold to penetrate her wounded bones. "We haven't slept in nearly two weeks. And Master disappeared yet again."

Altair didn't immediately respond; rather checked his body for injuries, finding none, he turned to Reina: "I think I'm close to sensing Mana." He said, tracing his finger over his left eye. "Then maybe I'll be able to use Fallen Necromancy."

Reina snapped herself up: ' Really! Finally!" She joyed with silvery eyes. She grinned and pushed aside a few strands of scarlet from her face. " Think you'll be able to defeat me, then?"

"You? If I remember, I won our last match." Altair attested, tapping his left eye. " I think… I'm about to become a swordsman, too.… Ever since I got this eye. Things have become clearer. My thoughts are far more precise than before."

[Ding]

[Circle of Gluttony proficiency has increased by 0.5%]

Circle of Gluttony [F]

Proficiency: 0.5% → 1%

The Prince grinned as he pondered the abilities of the Eye of Sacrilege that enhanced his everyday life. "Anyway, we should move. Hurry and pick the Lim Moss. That's why we came up this stupid mountain."

"Oh yeah. I nearly forgot. TeeHee!!!" Giggling to herself, Reina hoisted herself up, racing to the entrance to the nearby cave, where a snow-white moss grew. She nodded and began gathering it with a dagger into a small vial. "Alright, done. I've got enough for five people.

All that's left is Mistywood."

"Mistywood?"

"It's wood that gives off Yin. Or a Cold Mana. I need a specific type of fire to produce a Balm of Vigor. Our bodies are still growing, so our stats struggle to grow even after nearly five months of slaving. This Balm should solve that issue. Especially if we add your blood to it."

Altair nearly jerked his entire body to her. " Eh! Why my blood, what's wrong with yours."

"..." The Maiden grew silent. " Its poison…Mother got pregnant with me. So when she was poisoned, I absorbed most of the poison in the womb. However—"

"There was still trace amounts in her," Altair muttered. "Is that why you sometimes don't eat with me?"

"I don't know why, but sometimes my body releases a toxic fume that kills most organic things when I eat," Reina explained. "That's why I'm learning Blood Manipulation. And its why—"

Altair bonked her on the head with a crossed expression: "You know I've got the bloodline of a god, right? Two Gods. If you can survive it, I'm sure I can. And did Big Sis Luna say anything?" She shook her head, and the boy didn't bother to resist rolling his eyes. " Then even she thinks it's safe. She was just waiting for you to grow some balls."

"Balls? What's that? Wait! Are you immune to poison!"

Altair didn't immediately answer. His first response was to say no, but he honestly didn't know. He knew he was different. And something in him was telling him that he wasn't wrong.

[Animal Instincts proficiency has increased by 5%]

Animal Instincts [F]

Proficiency: 65% → 70%

"Stop worrying and just speak up," he said, masking the sliver of a smile. Altair had already known her blood was poison when he gazed upon her with the Eye of Sacrilege but wanted her to tell him. Rather than make it known, he could see other people's stats. "Now then—"

Sensing their instincts ring, Altair and Reina fired off their feet as the wisk of a dozen arrows flashed to their previous position.

The Prince's eyes narrowed as he turned to a ghostly figure barely corporeal, congealed by the Moon's power, billowing like ghostly flames.

[Lunar Archers Lv 5]

Race: Spirit

Strength: 9

Dexterity: 5

Constitution: 1

Wisdom: 1

Charisma: 1

Mana: 3

Damage Immunity: Bludguning, Slashing, and Piercing from nonmagical weapons

Skill: Regeneration, Ethereal Arrow

Description: Boundless Souls resurrected by the Moon's ethereal glow. Bound to seek the warmth of the mortal body

"It's those spirits against," Altair roared, pushing through the snow like an apparition. "There are seven!!!"

The Seven Archers suddenly separated on the instincts of their souls. They reacted, nocking their bows. The seven fired their ethereal arrow in quick succession toward Altair when Reina appeared, shielding Altair behind her greatsword. The Prince whirled around, not losing speed, as he arrived before the seven could reach more than ten meters from each other.

"Shadow Cage!" Summoning tendrils of shadows that bounded each of the apparitions. Altair and Reina made quick work of them as Altair felt a huge drain on his reserve.

[Lunar Archers Felled. Exp Gained]

[Lunar Archers Felled. Exp Gained]

[Lunar Archers Felled. Exp Gained]

[Lunar Archers Felled. Exp Gained]

[You've Leveled Up]

Slaughtering the lot, the Prince fell to one knee as sweat oozed from his brow, freezing before it could hit the ground. " Damn… Why is the drain so much heavier." He moaned, nearly keening over like a dead fish.

"The grimoire isn't using its Mana, but yours now," Reina explained. "And remember, the Mana stat made your reserves smaller but pure; this is how it feels to cast spells. Especially a broken one like that."

Grunting tirelessly with over two-thirds of his mana reserves empty for a mere seven seconds, Altair opened up his status page while revealing Reina's stats with the Eye of Sacrilege.

Name: Altair

Mana Circle: [First Circle Complete], [Second Circle 1%]

Class: Young Prince Lv 3 [First Awakening]

Strength: 2

Dexterity:4

Constitution:3 → 4

Wisdom: 11 → 12

Charisma: 11→ 12

Mana: 7

Skills: Dark Moon Blade [F], Eye of Sacrilege I [C],

Passives: Heart of Darkness[???], Animal Instincts [F]

Spells: Infernal Bane, Shadow Cage

Name: Reina Of The Moon

Race: Nephilim [Unawaken]

Circle: [First Circle Complete], [Second Circle 5%]

Class: Blood Knight Lv 2

Strength: 2

Dexterity:3

Constitution:2 → 3

Wisdom: 11 →12

Charisma: 11 →12

Mana: 6

Passive: [Curse of the Nephilim (S+)], [Alchemy (F)], [Mana Manipulation (F)], [Blood Poisoning S]

Skills: [Polymorph (F)], [Infernal Rage(F+)], [Ice Manipulation (F), Blood Manipulation(New) [F]

The Prince stood up, allowing the Circle of Gluttony to devour the wild Mana between heaven and earth. He had always been satisfied with how quickly the Circle of Gluttony granted a swift recovery. What would take the average soldier half a day, perhaps a full one would only require him a few hours at most.

"We need to move. Too many people have died in this accursed forest. And Big Sis magic keeps resurrecting them." Altair muttered.

"At least our swords are magical," Reina remarked, strapping Ice to her back. She glanced at Altair, some color returning to his face. " Anyway. I'm ready. The Mistywood is usually found in wet marshy areas during the colder seasons. Shall we?"

"Yeah. Let's go. I know just the place." The Prince said as they made their way down the mountain.