LIGHTNOVELONLINE CH 12-Aphemis Flamebright
A codex panel showed itself to him. It held only a few words, but it was enough to put a smile on his face.
Condition for tier elevation met. Proceed to increase the tier?
Yes or no?
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to slip down. He lay motionless on the ground, feeling the grass sway under the wind. His breathing gradually easing down. He released a deep breath and spoke.
"Yes, proceed"
Command received. Commencing Tier Upgrade
Time ticked by as Samael lay in silence. His forehead scrunched up at the lack of action from the Codex. He opened his mouth when a cold, refreshing wave crashed through him. Making him swallow air involuntarily.
Tier advancement successful. Do you wish to see the changes?
"Don't mind if I do..." Samael pushed himself from the ground and sat down.
Name: Samael
Title: [Loved by the void]
Age: 8 Years and 7 months old
Species: Void Spawn [+]
Affinity: Void [+]
Condition: Good, healthy
•STATS•
STR: 12.5
SPD/AGI: 11.9
CONSTITUTION: 14.5
SPIRIT: 15.5
CHARM: 6.5
∆SKILLS [+]
"What?!" Samael bolted up, his eyes jolted wide. This is incredible! His stats improved by a huge margin, far beyond what he's expecting!
Tier 0 ---> Tier 1
[Void Spawn [-]]
Evolution progress: Tier 1 Mark 0
Marker: 0/100
Special trait: Heir type
-a species of void beings capable of extreme destruction and power.
Congratulations on reaching Tier 1! You have unlocked a new function! [Remnants]
Samael held his head as he sat down slowly. A smile plastered on his face. First of all, the increase in his stats was absurd. That's a 3-point addition! That's equivalent to the force of a grown man! Not to mention, he was already stronger than trained adults when he got his first augmentation.
"I wonder if I can hunt bigger animals now?" Well, technically, he has already fought foes of great strength such as the likes of krueger or bullet snake, but those were close encounters. As much as possible, he doesn't want to risk things unless he gets a good hold of his power.
But man... Now the counter needs 100 essences to fill up. This is going to take me so long. Samael sighed, feeling mentally tired at the thought of fighting a hundred or so monsters.
There is this thing, though... Samael fixed his eyes on a particular screen. "Remnants...?" He said in confusion.
[Remnants] is a feature that allows the user to get a unique item that contains mystical effects by chance.
Each item will have its own rank. The higher the rank, the better the effects.
The rank of your remnant will also depend on the rank of the enemy you have killed.
I see, so it's basically obtaining magical items upon killing an enemy. This was good for him. Since his major way of gathering essence is by killing, he can basically kill two birds with one stone. This is a win-win situation, no matter where he looks. He does have a question, though. "What do you mean by ranks?"
Ranks are a way to classify the strength of creatures or items. This also applies for skills.
"Huh? If that's the case, then why haven't I seen anything of the sort?" he questioned. He has killed many creatures, yet he hasn't seen a single droplet of this "rank."
You did not ask.
"You— I— urgh..." Samael facepalmed himself. The Codex can be very cheeky sometimes. Even if it doesn't mean to... Or does it?
"Can you please turn on this function? Pretty please?" he humbly pleaded.
Understood.
Name: Samael
Title: [Loved by the void]
Age: 8 Years and 7 months old
Species: Void Spawn [+]
Affinity: Void [+]
Rank: Awakened
Condition: Good, healthy
•STATS•
STR: 12.5
SPD/AGI: 11.9
CONSTITUTION: 14.5
SPIRIT: 15.5
CHARM: 6.5
∆SKILLS [+]
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He did have a few more queries, but there's time for that later. He closed off the panels and gradually wiped off the smile on his face.
A bigger problem still haunts him. Until he finds Lilith, there's no time to dawdle around.
"Where are you, Lilith...?"
***
A beautiful, enticing woman strided in a breath-taking white hall. The floor shone, reflecting the way her tail swiveled. The walls were filled with portraits, their canvas shining with jewelry.
She soon arrived in front of a wooden door, pushing it slowly and gently. Her every move exuded elegance and grace. Oftentimes she's mistaken for a saint— if it weren't for the pitch-black horns imbedded on her forehead.
She approached a red chair and sat down with a moan. "Ahh~ I can finally take a breather."
She might look stress-free, but only those close to her know how much she carries. Mountains worth of paper work and pest problems are things she battles with almost every day, and with the recent events, things have gotten a lot noisier.
"Hmm~?" She opened her eyelids, and a chilling atmosphere shrouded the office. Her eyes narrowed down, devoid of light and conscience.
She tapped her finger once on the smooth surface of her wooden desk, and a figure slithered out from her shadow. The newcomer kneeled, his fist planted on the floor.
The woman's gaze landed on the man. A lone bead of sweat fell from the cloaked figure's forehead.
"Status report?" she asked, breaking the silence with her chilling voice.
The man didn't dare raise his head and do as he was told. "Our scouts have been patrolling as per orders. However, an unexpected variable has appeared. Someone has infiltrated into our territory— Krgh!"
A titanic pressure fell on the room. The whole office shook, and cracks started to blossom below the informant, his previous position now unseen as he struggled to keep himself from being turned into a mush of flesh.
"Tell me... and make it good... Why didn't you kill that intruder? You, a captain personally recommended by Perona, failed to do your job of keeping pests out of my place...?" She questioned, her face contorted with rage. Her once mesmerising eyes now scarlet in hue amidst the darkness.
"For-Forgive... me for my inco-incompetence! But the intruder's case is... special!" He replied with great difficulty.
The pressure faded swiftly, and the stale air flowed once more. The informant fell face-first as he gasped for air. Blood trickling down his mouth.
The woman shifted in her seat. "Special...? Speak before I regret giving you this mercy."
The informant hurriedly kneeled again. "The intruder is a kid. But he held something that belonged to the young princess. Or, to be precise, he wore the other half of her crimson heart necklace..."
...
Suffocating silence shrouded the room. However, this was broken as the informant spoke once more "...Usually, we would have had no issue disposing of him and bringing back the little princess's necklace, but... the necklace held the princess's scent. She... branded it with her blood..." He gulped, carefully measuring his next words coming out of his mouth. "Thus we were unable to make a move in fear of harbouring the princess's wrath."
The woman's laid back attitude vanished. Her eyes calculating and cold.
"Leave," she commanded.
The shadow remained silent, slithering back to the shadow of whence he came.
"Perona," The woman uttered, her ice cold tone resonating within the room.
A silhouette warped in front of him, her stance low as she elegantly bowed. Her slender figure draped with a Victorian maid's dress exuded a faint aura of authority. Her dark hair, paired with her long eyelashes and thin lips, would've made others wonder if she was really a demon.
"You called for me, Madam Aphemis?" Her tone held great respect and reverence.
"Tell me your thoughts," Aphemis asked as she leaned back with a sigh. She is honestly tired of all these shenanigans happening at once. First, her granddaughters kidnapping, then the sudden rise of conflict with the ministry of those fanatics and now the sudden appearance of this boy wielding the necklace of Lilith, with her blood no less,
Perona stood unmoving, akin to a finely sculpted doll as she replied. "I sense that there is more to this story than meets the eye. My belief is firm that there is no plausible way for this "intruder" to obtain the little princess's necklace. After all, it's imbedded with a powerful seal capable of killing even deities. The only one that holds authority to that item is her alone." She halted her words, as if lost in contemplation before resuming. "I believe that the little mistress has bestowed this boy the necklace personally."
Pin-drop silence devoured the room.
Lilith gave that boy that necklace...? But it's impossible... Or is it...?. When they found Lilith, her condition was in fact the best she'd seen her granddaughter. Not to mention, she was practically unharmed, and that's after being missing for months in the crimson forest. No one knows what sort of monstrosities lurk under the crevices of those trees. Even she is forced to tread carefully when delving deeper into those woods.
She stared off into the distance before lowering her gaze. I see... She believed that the boy she found back then was nothing but a fellow captured slave, but it appears she was wrong. There is indeed more to this story.
Plus there's that... If that kid had just chosen to come with Lilith, he would've been killed in a flash. The thought of a human kid surviving the crimson forest is implausible.
Then did he help Lilith find her way there? Did he survive the wounds he got from those corrosion rods? Aphemis clenched her jaw and released a "tsk". She has so many questions, but no answers in sight. She detest matters like these.
"Perona, take over for now. I'm going on a walk." She said.
Perona took a brief peek, her brows slightly arched. "I understood," she responded. All the maids and butlers in this house knew what her "walk" meant. Either she's going on a rampage or dealing with something extremely conflicting. There's no in-between.
Aphemis bolted from her comfortable chair and strided outside the door. However, her direction wasn't towards the exit; rather, she passed by a lush garden.
Beyond that garden stood a house. It was neither big nor small, but just a humble one. She took deep breaths, her once freezing visage now overshadowed with love and care.
Aphemis entered the abode. It wasn't extravagant by any means. The walls are made of brown oak, while the furniture's are few. Just a table, chairs, and other things one needs to survive.
She came face-to-face with a white door. She stood there for a while, her hands balling to a fist as it hovered inches away from the wooden entrance.
She sighed under her breath before knocking three times. "...Lilith, Grandma is coming in," she announced.
She twisted the door knob and pushed the door open, revealing a small but tidy room. On the far corner of the room sat Lilith with her wheelchair.
Her once lustrous black hair now dry and bland. The lush glow on her skin, now pale. Her ruby-red eyes, now glassy and lifeless, She was nothing but a mirror of her past self, and it aches for Aphemis's heart to see her this way.
She came closer, ever so slightly, and sat beside her. She took the girl's hand on her own, feeling the numbing cold touch her skin. A pang of pain struck her once more.
Lilith... She gently held the girl in her embrace, yet even that didn't garner any response. She just sat there, unmoving and unresponsive. Her hand that tightly clung on her necklace was the lone proof that she's still there, somewhere. Was she even really living? Aphemis caressed the girl's head.
She knows what to do now.
***
Samael halted his steps, a roar escaping his lips. "Damn it!"
He took out his map and scribbled another part out of it. Where the hell is this village?! Each passing moment he wastes is nothing short of torment.
He sat down with a deep sigh, his hands cupping his face. Yet he stood again and continued his torturous search.
Samael checked the lakes, the ponds, and the clearings. He checked the roots, the bushes, everything! Not even a speck of dust escaped his sight. But the only thing he found was bitterness.
Time would pass in a blink, the dark veil of the night shrouding the forest in a breeze, marking the abrupt end of his manhunt. With his shoulders slumped, he would go back physically tired. Yet, even in sleep he finds no solace for his nightmares torture him endlessly.
Samael went deeper into the woods until a small opening shone on his pupils . It's a cave, or his house, if one would say. It wasn't the best, but it's all he's got. Plus, it's hidden, which keeps the danger level low.
As he went near the entrance, he was forced dead on his tracks. The shadow of a woman danced on the walls, illuminated by a small bonfire. However, that wasn't what caught his attention. It was because her silhouette had Horns.
Samael raced towards the cave. As he got in, he was shocked silent once more.
It wasn't Lilith.
His visage splintered, burning into ashes right before his eyes. However, a small kindle of fire still glew bright inside him.
The woman casted a sidelong glance, her gaze fixated on Samael.
He can't help but flinch under her piercing gaze. But he stood steadfast. It irks him when someone challenges him and looks at him as if he's insignificant. His stomach churns at the thought of it.
The woman retracted her cold eyes and held a hint of... Approval?
"So you're Samael. Am I correct?" Her tone was melodic, enough to put someone to sleep under her stories. Weirdly, that wasn't what he felt. His senses told him that this woman was strong, and incredibly dangerous.
"...Yes, and who are you?" He hesitantly asked.
The woman's eyes shone sharp for a moment. "I am Aphemis Flamebright... the grandmother of Lilith Flamebright..." She halted for a second. "And you have committed a grave sin."
Samael's breath hitched as a titanic pressure befell his shoulders, forcing him to kneel, but before his knees buckled, a faint aura shot out of his body. It gave him just enough strength to stay on his feet.
Something primal within him vehemently rejected the notion of kneeling. As if this was a notion of self betrayal.
Samael stood strong and braved the danger in front of him. "What do you mean?" he asked with a shaky voice. The mention of Lilith tapped into his emotions.
Without warning, the pressure shrouding the room was lifted. The air flowed once more.
"It all goes back to when we found my grand daughter. She... She was never the same; she was scarred, in pain, and in fear. Not for herself, but for someone else."
Aphemis pointed at the bewildered boy. "That someone else happened to be you"
"Do you know the amount of pain you caused? The amount of suffering you inflicted on her? I know this seems unfair to you, but I'm also her family. And seeing her in such a state breaks my heart." She said.
Aphemis's expression seemed lifeless, but her heart said so otherwise. Only she knew how much she was holding back her tears.
"You see, Lilith isn't normal. I'm sure you've figured that out already. With all these "chaos witch" shenanigans. She was born differently. She's a vagabond. A being born not out of the universe, but of its own volition. Discarded abnormalities that somehow survived on their own. This alone guaranteed a dark future for her. So I did what every grandmother would do. I devoted myself to protecting her."
She paused, as if reminiscing about the past. "But some things never go as you intend. Some pests crawled out of nowhere demanding to hand over the chaos witch. They say that she will be the cause this planets doom. I say they're spouting horse shit." Her face contorted in rage, her jaws clenched tight, producing a horrid grating sound.
"It's also because of those fuckers that Lilith had no childhood. People would only befriend her for two things: either to benefit from her status or to kill her."
Samael's eyes narrowed as he vividly recalled their encounter with the cloaked assailants. If it weren't for them...!
No... It's my fault for being weak... He lowered his gaze.
"She forced herself into hiding. She built a wall and pushed away those that wanted to help her. She hid her loneliness behind her smiles. Well, that was until she met you. You, a boy from some random place, came out of nowhere and decided to enter her life. To become a part of her." Aphemis gazed at the fire, its incandescent glow bathing her face.
"Do you know that demons perceive emotions greater than humans? So much that even the feeling of losing someone is enough to cripple them. That's the very reason we're unsociable creatures. But those haven't applied to her yet." A crack reverberated in the cave as dark lines marred the stone walls.
"Every single night she would cry in her sleep, screaming nothing but your name. Her... Her dreams haunt her to the point she would rather not sleep. For there is no solace in her rest. She wouldn't eat, talk, or even move!" She roared, her voice enough to shake his abode.
"What happened... Killed my beloved granddaughter. What's in my house is nothing but a husk of her." Her voice slowly died down.
"But I'm still thankful to you. Because you showed her that not everything in this accursed world wanted to harm her. You saved her from the suffering called "loneliness,"
"...But your job isn't over yet." Aphemis stood up and walked over to Samael.
She put her finger on his chest and said...
"And you... you will bring my granddaughter back."