Abyssal Awakening

"Everyone! We will be making a main camp in this forest once we've reached the location known as the Emerald Glade. Please do not stray from the main camp as we are here to collect some Sylvan Essence." Cedric called out.

"Even though the beasts within this forest are weak, please bear in mind that they are still beasts in the end. One mistake and it can cost you your life! Thankfully, we are under the protection of strong and experienced Hunters so all you have to do is remain at the camp! If you venture out, it is your own life that you're putting at risk.

"We will be leaving in exactly one day! Any longer and you will be left behind so remember that!"

Hearing the announcement, all of the lone Hunters and Travellers understood that he was simply warning them from doing anything stupid. All they have to do is wait at the camp and things will be resolved.

"What do you want to do?" Ria asked curiously.

Alice had mentioned that she there might be something she wanted to check out nearby but she wasn't sure where it was. Now that they were stopping for a day, this may be the perfect chance to explore.

"I'm not sure how long it'll take though. If we spend too long, they'll leave without us. And you know how it went last time we tried to navigate by ourselves." Alice sighed while glancing at the map.

"However… I think what I'm looking for is in this forest so I need to check it out. It has something to do with Allura."

"Well if that's the case then obviously we have to go." Ria smiled as Alice nodded her head.

Glancing towards the Raven's Watch party, she couldn't help but sigh at the sight of Ellie.

After travelling for a few days, they never continued the training session as Ellie seemed more and more hesitant on the career path of being a Hunter.

'Did the training affect her that much?' Alice thought to herself with a sigh.

However, considering the fact that they were working as a group, they will cover for one another.

"Let me mark down this location and then we can search the forest."

Making a cut on her arm, Alice left a small blood orb by her carriage so that she could sense it wherever she went. The range wasn't as far as she had hoped but it was better than nothing. They knew the general direction of the camp anyways, the blood orb was simply confirmation.

As Alice was preparing to explore the forest with Ria to find the ruins, the Raven's Watch party had noticed this. And despite wanting to ask for a bit of help, they decided against it for now as they heard of what had happened during the night.

The demonstration that Alice had performed.

There was a desire to recruit her help but considering the state that Ellie was left in, it seemed as though the training was too much for her.

"Guys… You don't have to do it for me." Ellie sighed but Finn shook his head.

"We're a group. We work better when we're on the same page. Even if she is powerful, we need to first make sure we are comfortable as a group. So don't worry about it." He reassured while making double checks of their equipment.

There was a slight increase of beasts on the way here but they stayed relatively weak.

Most of them were just two star fodder that they can take care of easily or three star beasts that required a bit more effort from them.

The caravan leader had already provided them with all the information they needed for the location of the water and all that was required for them to do was clear the path and claim the treasure.

"Remember, there are anomalies right now and even if it is still within expectations, keep an eye out." He reminded as they made their way out of the Emerald Glade and into the forest.

At the same time, Alice and Ria made their way out as well with Alice leading the way based on the feeling she received from the mark.

Towering trees surrounded her as their large trunks were akin to pillars that held up the night sky of the Abyss. Through the gaps of the leaves, the ethereal moonlight descended upon the land as a kaleidoscope of colours reflected from the flowers that inhabit this forest.

Despite searching for the Ruins, Alice couldn't help but stop and marvel at this sight.

'The Abyss is truly filled with beautiful places like this… Yet dangers lurk behind the radiance, waiting for a chance to tear out your throat.' Alice thought to herself.

"Do you think we can take some of these flowers back? If kept in a glass, I think they'll look quite nice." Ria asked curiously as she was about to lean down and pick on up but Alice stopped her.

"If you want to have it burrow its roots into your arm then feel free to grab them. They're the Verdigrasp Lily and they feed off the water in your body. By the time you're done, you'll be nothing but a corpse blooming with more of these flowers." Alice warned as she noticed the names above these flowers.

She had personally experienced the feeling of having her veins slowly being replaced by these flowers. The sensation of small writhing roots wiggling through her body and tugging at her flesh. Of course, it takes more than just a touch to have them invade your body but it was better to warn Ria in case there was an anomaly.

It's not a difficult beast to deal with even after it invades the body but the experience is definitely not worth it.

"!!!" Pulling her hand back in shock, Ria couldn't help but sigh in regret.

Such beauty yet the thorns hidden in the shadows were truly deadly!

Looking at Alice's back, Ria couldn't help but applaud Alice's knowledge on Abyss Beasts once more. Had it not been for her, she would've picked up the flowers without hesitation.

"It's mostly plant based beasts around here. As long as you are careful, it should be pretty easy to navigate." Alice warned while pushing aside the foliage.

The deeper they went into the forest, the stronger her mark felt along with a strange swirl of emotions that manifested in her heart.

'Is it memory of Allura's master?' Alice thought to herself.

There was a sense of bitterness within her chest as regret and sorrow gripped at her mind.

And at last, they discovered a path leading down to the next layer of the Abyss.

A small opening leading to the infinite void below.

Glancing down at her mark, Alice understood that this was indeed the path.

'Is it similar to the weird tree that Allura took us to last time?' She wondered to herself as her interaction with the Crystal Grove had awakened what remained of Cayla's master. Perhaps going down would lead to another awakening.

"Shall we head down?"

Nodding her head, Alice condensed a small orb of blood hovering above her palm and ignited it with the violet flames, acting as a light source to help them navigate this darkness.

One of the most fearsome flames that Ria had ever seen, one that could burn away the powers of the Abyss, was being used as a candle.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked curiously, noticing that Ria was staring at her flame.

"Nothing. Do you think it'll take us more than a day to get back? We seem to be going pretty far." Ria shook her head while making a small lightning bolt on her finger tips.

Flicking it into the darkness, she watched as the small speck of light was soon engulfed by the darkness.

"Yikes…"

"Well if it begins to take too long, we'll start making our way back since our ultimate goal is still to reach the next city. If anything, I can leave a mark here on the map and come revisit when I have time." Alice shrugged as she continued her way down.

The deeper they went, the more invasive the darkness came. Even with the power of the violet flame, it seemed as though the darkness was alive and fighting to extinguish the foreign flames.

As she took another step, her vision shifted as she was now surrounded by the flames of war. Countless cries merged with one another as the air crackled with power.

Widening her eyes, Alice could see the battlefield stretch across the Abyssal expanse as spectral figures loomed above the land, seemingly overlooking the world as though it was naught but a small orb within their palms.

These figures clashed as Abyssal power rained down upon the land, damaging it beyond repair while the skies split apart with countless cracks sending the stars themselves into oblivion.

In another blink, the scenery had disappeared as Alice stumbled to the side, almost falling off the steps but Ria managed to catch her in time.

"Are you okay?!"

"Ah… Mnm, I am. A weird vision appeared for a moment and I lost track of myself." Alice sighed.

Clenching her chest, she could feel the anguish buried deep within, taking over her mind.

Such overwhelming emotions that threatened to overrule her entire existence.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Alice had to reassure Ria multiple times before they could continue.

Perhaps the darkness had numbed them to the flow of time but soon, they approached a cliff before a sea of mist that obscured the lands below.

"That's probably the Howling Depths…" Ria muttered.

She remembers vividly the dangers they had to face during their first visit to the layer. If they wish to proceed, they had to do with the utmost care as Allura was not here to assist them.

Alice was hesitant. The source of the feeling was so close yet it was deep within this mist. If she wanted to find the ruin, it meant traversing this foreign land and the dangers that lurk within.

Taking a deep breath, Alice calmed her mind and contemplated her options.

"Lets… Take a quick peak. If things get dangerous let's leave as fast as possible." Alice suggested as Ria nodded her head.

"Need my blood again?" Ria offered.

"It won't last long enough unless we plan to kill the danger."

Leaving behind an orb to mark the entrance, the two of them jumped down into the mist.