Shadow of the Abyss

Under the moon, radiance, blanketed by gentle winds of seawater, rustled against the faces of the children in the lotus position separated by nearly a meter and a half. They sat poised, with a set of peculiar ingredients circling around them.

On his right and Left, Altair had two small vials of blood he'd taken from Ren and a greyish-black hearthstone carved out from a tier three Shadowcat, known to prowl the northern sector of Korea.

Meanwhile, Ren sat with two peculiar, different shades of feathers on each side of her. One was cruel black that shimmered a sinful aura; the other a radiant white that resonated with Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all there was. Angelic Feathers they were. Plucked from the corpses of the Powers during one of Luna's endless adventures throughout the Myriad Heavens, Iliana had assured her.

And before her, like with Altair… A small marble-shaped hearthstone of white and black, torn out of the Silver Mane Unicorn. The once pure white hearthstone became tainted by mortal greed, gaining a red hue.

"Calm or Chaotic," Iliana said in a hushed voice, seductive as if she were speaking to a lover. Her voice became enthralling, pulling at the children's minds as they visibly began to calm themselves. "Channel your Mental Form. Channel it through your body and soul until it materializes. Feel the power of order and chaos, and embrace the madness. Let it permeate you in an endless wave of purpose.

Yes, just like that.

She stared at Ren, smiling at the throbbing pulse of good and evil, order and chaos beginning to whirl around her. And then to Altair, surrounded by an aura she'd not felt since her birth. Tainted by the Vale. Iliana visibly shuddered.

'Ah, there it is again.' Iliana whispered, sensing her breath turn heavy And her loins hot as she grinned. "A few more Hell Cycles, and I'll have you under my sword, boy… So grow up strong…"

Unaware of the burning battle intent directed towards him, Altair's mind plunged into a realm of darkness in which light could not exist. The darkness pooled like a congealing mass, devouring all who entered.

And as if he understood where he stood, Altair looked down at his translucent form, which he'd seen a few times when he saw his father and during his meeting with the King of Hell.

"This is my… soul." The Prince let out, taking it all in. "This is inside my soul?"

"Caw~ It is the outer rim of it, known as the Astral Sea, or the Sea of Consciousness," Came a voice he'd not heard in a while, and to Altair's surprise, his eyes landed on the Crow he'd met in the Vale. "CORN~ CORN~" It screeched, circling Altair before landing on his shoulder once more. The crow nudged the boy's cheek, its three eyes filled with blame. "Get me out of here~"

The Prince tilted his head. "Get you out? I don't even know how I got in here. Wait, how did you get inside my Astral Sea?"

"The Lord of the Vale banished me… I think. Or perhaps he didn't even notice me." It said, flapping its beady wings. "Corn!"

"What's with your obsession with corn?" Altair couldn't help but ask.

"I'm a Crow… Maybe a Raven… maybe both… But we eat corn." It said, as a matter of fact.

Altair grinned, gently nudging it with his finger, and looked at the pooling abyss that was his soul. "What happens if I dive deeper into my Astral Sea?"

"You die, Caw~," It said, crackling. "You'll become lost in the labyrinth of your mind, and without help, your physical body will starve and die. But it's changing in here… " the crow mentioned, scanning the void around him. "The Madness… it's bringing elements of the Vale to your soul."

"That's a good thing, right?" Altair hesitantly asked.

The crow looked at him as though he were the biggest fool. "The Vale exists before the darkness, before the light, before the Seraphim, before time immoriate. Nay, it's not a good thing. You'd go mad and die before even a point value of its power is given to you."

"... That's a little harsh. And what do you even mean? I can use Vale Manipulation just fine. And nothing…

"Ya What?"

Altair frowned. "You taught me to manipulate the Vale."

"Inside the Vale," The Crow pointed out, its three eyes focussing on Altair. And a familiar chill similar to when Luna stripped him bare with her eyes coiled through the Prince. One he could neither brush off nor resist.

He gulped.

"CORN~" The crow suddenly shrieked. "Corn~ You got Corn~"

The boy made a face, "... No. Look, how do I get out of here?"

"Promise me you'll summon me from your soul, and I'll teach you." The Crow said, startling Altair, but he nodded nonetheless, not really liking the idea of a foreign creature inside his soul.

'I promise." The Prince assured him.

"Promise me corn, too. "

"..."

"You got issues."

"CORN~"

"ok~Ok~ I promise I'll get you corn." The Prince assured him, unsure why he felt like he was being scolded. Though he didn't mind…

Satisfied, the crow nodded. "Will it, and so it shall be. Just as you will the Vale, Will the Mind."

***

In the hours that passed, Altair opened his eyes, filled with aura of the Vale within his pupils. A dense mana surrounded him, so pure nodes of pure azure mana glistened around him.

[Class Advancement: Second Class Availability]

Profane Knight

Prince of Hell

Sword King

Blood Prince

Lord Titles? The Prince saw, unsure what they meant. He knew most titles held a deeper meaning based on the attunement they sought to attach themselves to. And with his attachment to the Nine Hells cupped with his meetings with a Monarch and King of Hell. Altair wasn't surprised to see his next class related to the Nines.

Almost immediately, he marked off Profane Knight. What Prince would seek to lower himself to the station of knighthood? And then Sword King, sensing he didn't need the system's help to earn such a title. Who was he, if not a Master of the Sword already?

[Prince of Hell]

[Blood Prince]

Altair stared at the last remaining option and smiled. "There isn't really a choice is there."

[DING]

[Prince of Hell Selected]

[Ding]

[Error]

[Error]

[Prince of Hell → Prince of the Vale]

[Authority Gained]

[System Store Unlocked- Level 1 Access]

[Circle of Gluttony F→ E]

"Huh?" A throbbing ache caught the Prince's chest as he felt his heart pause, and without cause, blood, vile as the Hells, gushed from his throat. Sizzling through the sand as though it were acid.

[Prince of the Vale Lv 1]

Attributes: [+2 Wis], [+2 Cha], [+2 Con] [+1 Dex] Per Level Up

Description: He Who Is Born Of The Vale Shall Return To The Vale. He Who Seeks The Vale Shall Rule It., And He Who Wields the Vale Shall Rule The END.

[Influx of Exp Detected]

[DING]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

Suddenly, an influx of knowledge poured into the Prince's mind, ruthlessly piercing his Astral Sea. He screamed, clutching his head, curling into a ball that trembled fiercely.

Iliana watched, fascinated. She opened her palm, creating a wall of silence to block the sound from escaping. But the longer she observed her disciple, the more her brows began to crease at the horrid power beginning to cloak his flesh.

Mana within the surrounding space began to be drawn in by the Prince as he roared, covered by the Mana of the Vale. For over a mile wide, Altair endlessly devoured the Mana, alerting the military to the strange change.

[DING]

[Sword of the Abyss (SSS)]

Type: Abyssal Aura

Effect 1: All proficiency increases by 2x.

Effect 2: Sealed → Will of the Abyss

Effect 3: Sealed

Effect 4: Sealed

Effect 5: Sealed

Effect 6: Sealed

Effect 7: Sealed

Effect 8: Sealed

Effect 9: Sealed

Description: Broken is the King, who stands before the Abyssal Night. Through Despair, the Sword of the Abyss shall appear.

[Will of the Abyss]

Passive: Transcend Limitations of the One across the Myriad Heavens. The Stronger the user's conviction, the stronger he may transcend.

Active: Creates a Domain fueled by the user's Willpower/Charisma to plunge those of weaker wills into an Abyss of Despair.

Name: Altair (Snow)

Mana Circle:[First Circle Complete], [Second Circle Complete], [Third Circle 0.001%]

Physique: First Vale Star

Class: [Young Prince Lv 25], [Prince of the Vale Lv 4]

Strength: 29

Dexterity: 30 → 34

Constitution: 47 → 55

Wisdom: 49 → 57

Charisma:49 → 57

Mana: 23 → 28

Slowly, Altair's cries began to subside, leaving two large amethyst Black circles above his shoulders, ablaze with light.

Iliana tilted her gaze to Reina, smiling as she stood surrounded by the bounds of the almighty and the corrupted. Behind her back rested two scarlet rings alongside a single raven-colored wing.

Name: Reina Of The Moon

Race: Nephilim [Semi Awakened]

Circle: [First Circle Complete], [Second Circle Complete], [Third Circle 0.01%]

Class: [Blood Knight Lv 2 →25] [Blood Nephilim Lv 1]

Aura: Infernal Abyss

Physique: Fallen Primordial

Strength: 20 → 42

Dexterity: 14 →30

Constitution: 17 → 33

Wisdom: 21→ 52

Charisma: 21 → 52

Mana: 19 → 25

Blood Nephilim

Attributes: [+2 Wis], [+2 Cha], [+1 Con] [+2 Str] Per Level Up

Passive: [Curse of the Nephilim (S+)], [Alchemy (E→D)], [Mana Manipulation (E→D)]

Skills: [Polymorph (D)], [Infernal Rage(E)], [Ice Manipulation (E→D), Fire Manipulation (E→D) Blood Manipulation (E→D), Celestial Nine Moon Blade(E→D), Eighth Form, Arctus [E]

Infernal Abyss[SSS]

Type: Infernal, Heaven

Effect 1: Will of the Heaven and Hell

Effect 2: Necrotic/Sacred Flame

Effect 3: Sealed

Effect 4: Sealed

Effect 5: Sealed

Effect 6: Sealed

Effect 7: Sealed

Effect 8: Sealed

Effect 9: Sealed

When Ren opened her eyes, slowly awakened to the nature held within her blood, a ripple pulsated of her being, sending waves through the ocean around her.

"Congrats," Iliana said to her, noticing glimmers of the seven virtues and sin held within her aura. "You awoke not just your aura but a physique."

"Hmmm." Ren nodded, grinning. "Curse of the Nephilim limits my bloodline inheritance a bit too much. So it took longer for me to awaken these things, unlike Art…" she glanced at him, sighing at his ability to faint. " Every time. Why does he keep doing this?"

The Abyssal grinned. "You were able to keep up with Altair due to your pill-making, but there is a limit to how far such things can get you." she warmed, with a dull edge to her voice. "Luna should have ingrained a list of skills into your soul… So why have you not practiced any?"

Ren did not immediately answer, but neither did she deny any of it.

"Are you perhaps… so enamored with this boy? You don't wish to see yourself surpass him?"

Her lips curled down.

"Yes… That's it, isn't it?" Iliana sneered, sensing she'd hit the nail. "Pathetic. Altair almost died today. And where were you? Had you practiced your movement technique, you would have made it in time to stop his Third Stance."

"I—"

"Save it. I don't want to hear your excuses." Iliana snapped, creasing her brow. "Woman like you sicken me. What you are doing is nothing more than a betrayal to yourself and that boy. And for you not to see it is even worse. Grow up… or you'll fail everyone you love.

This is my warning to you, Girl. From me and from your master."