H Tales Of A Reincarnated Elf

by Stayrr

I was a good looking prince when I was reborn, and because I could do indecent things as much as I like, I decided to make a harem while traveling with a beautiful female elf Formerly an otaku, the hero who was just reincarnated became a handsome elf prince of another world. In his previous life he was just a plain-faced man, so in this world he uses his high position as a prin

143. Abyss of Dual Cultivation : Godde (1-50)

Abyss of Dual Cultivation: Goddess's Lust system

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Aurora had been human once before. But she had been betrayed by her only love and left to die at the bottom of the abyss. But she survived. As a result - she was granted the power and authority of a god. Being the only one to see the bottom of the 'Great rift,' she became a supreme being - A goddess.

Using this power to turn back time, Aurora vowed to free her love from the clutches of those who had been like poison to her. She would take revenge on the Abyss Tower.

Being the elite academy it was, Abyss Tower had no equal when it came to training people. Aurora could no longer allow that to continue. So she vowed to change things. She vowed to set up another academy and challenge The Abyss Tower for the Abyss's ownership.

But with the other gods and goddesses tossed in the mix, as well as the Abyss itself acting up, things were not going to be that easy. Especially since her lover's soul no longer existed as one in the past.

The more Aurora tried to straighten things out, the more it all tangled up. Did she really mess up by reversing the time? Or was an even bigger plot being brewed in the background?

And the truth of everything lies in the flow and exchange of energies between different bodies. In easier terms - to dual cultivate.

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[Remember, this is the path you have chosen for yourself. Whatever happens from here, it is no longer my responsibility. As such, this new world is yours to govern over]

Golden eyes opened, feeling the wetness of the water around them. It seeped into their fragile retina. It instantly caused the eternal being to close their eyes and reject the painful feeling.

[From today onwards, you shall be known as Aurora. Forget all that you have suffered. Forgive all that you have seen. For you are no longer a mortal being but a deity]

But she could not forget. Nor could she forgive.

The voice faded from the blue-haired Goddess's mind as she tried to hold on to that comfortable voice. The only way to soothe her anger was to keep on listening to that unknown voice.

But whatever she did, she could not bring the voice back. It was gone from her mind forever.

Only then did Aurora open her eyes again. It was a new beginning for her. One she had been granted to change her fate.

The dark water was everywhere, the whole place filled with it. There was no sign of life as well. Aurora was left alone down there to rot.

But no, she was a goddess and could not die. She had just been abandoned once again by her loved ones. Time and again, Aurora had been left alone.

She remembered what she had done in her grief. Aurora had challenged the fates; she had ravaged the land. She had aimed to conquer the abyss till it was all hers.

It had all resulted in her present situation – her rebirth.

But that also begged the question – Where was she now? The last thing Aurora remembered was the destruction of this earth as her lover had run a knife through her newly immortal body. Those golden eyes were full of remorse and longing.

Aurora remembered being killed by the love of her life. The masses had led her wife astray. But The Abyss tower was the one at fault, not her wife.

Had her wish changed at the last second? It felt like it since she was no longer in the dark abyss. Then this must be the world before she had begun her journey. She did recognize the place she was at, if only vaguely.

And since she remembered this place, memories were beginning to come back to her in bits and pieces. It took some time for her to remember where she was.

In the dark, no one witnessed the Goddess's Silver hair turn blue and the golden eyes turn Pink. This way, the true nature of the goddess has been sealed.

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The world changed after the Abyss appeared. It had gone beyond imagination since the great rift had emerged. Humans were no longer the only dominant species on the planet.

It had been a thousand years ever since the great Rift had emerged. The Abyss had a lot of names, but nothing was as common as 'The heavenly punishment.' In the eyes of the holy council, it was the total of all human sins.

But science had seen it as something different. It had seen it as an opportunity for something great.

They had invested money and power in researching the rift and uncovering its mysteries. But it did not amount to anything. The abyss was too dark and deep for one race to cover in its entirety.

Even after several years, the Abyss was not something that a single person could understand. It had its own rules.

There had been no one who had seen the end of this rift. No one. Except for the gods and goddesses.

They were the pinnacle of power. People that had uncovered all its mysteries with the help of their close ones. Abyss was a death trap for those who entered it.

….

For Aurora, the abyss had been her source of joy. It had also provided her with Misery. It had given her Clove, her wife.

But it has also given birth to Abyss Tower, the academic institution that had a monopoly over every aspect of the abyss.

Aurora knew that the Abyss tower was the primary reason she had died in her previous life. They had poisoned her wife's mind against her. And for that, they would pay.

Aurora would make sure to destroy them and everything they stood for. The warmth of a goddess was a big thing to face.

"Oi, are you all dead? Aren't you all taking too long in there?" the guard came in, cutting through the fog around Aurora's memories with a sharp knife. She quickly picked herself up, her blue hair coming to cover her intimate parts.

As far as Aurora remembered, she had been let in here with a group of 14 individuals. She had been the only girl inside the pool when the ceremony had begun.

The door finally opened and caused light to flood the chamber. Aurora held her head high as she watched the guards rush inside.

"Hey, hurry up. OH MY GOD. W-WHAT DID YOU DO?" the guard looked shaken as he peeked inside the chamber. Aurora could feel his horror and curiosity from where she stood. The guards appeared to be horrified.

It was intriguing, this human specimen. While the physical appearance was not to Aurora's liking, she did find the mixture of thoughts he had inside his head interesting. They were amusing to hear and kept Aurora entertained.

Maybe she should offer him power, just to see what he would make of it?

"Hey Eric, what taking you so long? HOLY HELL, THEY'RE ALL DEAD." The second guard did not delay his arrival. The sound of footsteps filled the hallway. Aurora faintly remembered having other chambers similar to her own.

How long had it been? How much had she forgotten? Aurora had no idea.

But what she did remember was that each chamber had been different, some killing its occupants, the others granting blessings.

But it was all a test to see who would survive the abyss. The water used to submerge the trainees served as a poison test. It had left Aurora on the verge of death last time, but not this time.

This time, she felt fresh. She felt rejuvenated. She also felt like she could crush this tower to bits.

And she felt like she had enough magic to be able to change this world. She wanted to change this world and save those people she had not been able to her last time.

"No. Not everyone is dead. Look, the girl is still alive. But she's covered in blood. Do you think she killed them all? What should we do now?" the guard asked. He whispered those words to his companion.

Aurora felt rejuvenated and refreshed. It was another chance for her to thrive in this world and take her revenge. And she knew exactly how she would do that. She would fight fire with fire.

If the Abyss tower held its standing because of a powerful force, Aurora would create her force. She would set up an academy and train her own army.

She would show the Abyss tower that they could not keep doing whatever they wanted.

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She stepped forward and saw the two guards flinch at her approach. One of them even held the weapon ready should she decide to attack. But Aurora did not want them dead.

If she killed them, her chances of meeting Clove would reduce to zero. These guards were the reason Aurora had met Clove the first time around.

She needed them alive and to follow the plot.

"I don't think she killed them. Look, she's in shock as well. What kind of sane human would walk out naked and covered in blood. Here, you wait while I'll go and fetch a fresh pair of clothes." the second guard almost yelled as he made his way out.

And then it was only Aurora and the other guard with her. He gave her a nervous smile and twisted his hands. His behavior made it evident that he did not want to be here.

"Ugh, maybe you should take another bath? Not that you are not alright as you are, but the blood must be bothering you. Also, I think you're pretty. But you would look much, and I mean, much better with the blood off of your face." The guard rambled a bit, his eyes darting around to look for a secure way out.

The uneasiness oozing off the guard was evident. The fear was too much as it began to clog Aurora's senses. She wanted to make him stop whatever he was doing.

"Where is freshwater? I'll wash all this blood off." Aurora spoke for the first time, not even recognizing her voice. It did not sound human even to her ears. It had been melodic, a little too high-pitched, and enchanted.

The voice affected the human. The guard was too ordinary to resist the allure in Aurora's voice and went dazed-eyed. Aurora chose to focus on getting herself cleaned up.

And there it was, a bucket full of clean, non-abyss water. It sat in the pointed corner like an innocent bomb.

Water had become a precious resource ever since the abyss. To see a bucket full of it was a luxury. It showed that these people had been ready for something like this to happen.

Aurora used the water quickly. She wanted to get out of the facility and into the abyss since Clove was waiting for him. She had to find her wife and make her fall for Aurora all over again.

And she also had to scout out her competition. She remembered the batch she had been a part of was excellent in quality. She needed to aim and be better than them.

And this time, she had to make sure to keep those traitorous men away from her wife. The abyss was poison. Aurora would soon see them burn before she ever joined them.

"Here, these clothes should fit you till we get you something else. Please make do with them till we get something better for you. We did not expect to have to provide for someone of your, eh, development" The second guard returned with a bundle in his arms.

Aurora took it from him with a straight face. She had seen where the human had been eyeing her. She did not mind getting a few looks.

Aurora was far from bashful or timid. The abyss had trained it out of her years ago.

She had learned that overdeveloped human females like her did not tend to survive long in the abyss. Most adventurers chose to stick to higher levels of the Abyss. Or have a strong party with them to protect themselves.

Aurora had only met a handful of powerful yet adult females in the abyss. That was why she knew her wife was unique.

Her Clove had been strong and had the perfect pair of breasts, just a little smaller than Aurora's had been.

God, she missed her wife and all that she had stood for. The world felt a bit bleaker when she was not by Aurora's side. How would she be now? Would she be like Aurora? Would her growth be like Aurora's?

Aurora's pair did seem like it had grown a little bit since she had last felt it. Had it not been a little under-developed at this time of her journey? Aurora remembered being thirteen. It had been an awkward age for her.

But her current body did not feel like it was thirteen.

She felt like she had as an adult, far too old for her age and size. Had she come back in her older body? Or was this a side-effect of time manipulation?

She did not realize that she was giving her guards quite a show as she parted her shirt to look at her breasts. And they did not look anything like thirteen years old's should look.

Cough* the guard finally decided to interfere, knowing that he could not handle it anymore.

The beautiful female in front of him was almost indecent and seemed to lack self-awareness. If this continued, then his body would betray him.

"I think it's time we take you to the rest. Master wants to know how many passed this year" Aurora heard those words and instantly wanted to refuse. She hated the leader of the abyss. That old man and his whole family had been nothing but a thorn in Aurora's side.

She especially hated the Abyss leader's Son.

Being the leader's son, Quince was someone that had tried to one-up Aurora at every step. He had been Clove's childhood friend and chose to exploit that face quite often. He was also a contributing factor to Aurora's death.

He would become a thorn once Aurora set up her academy. She would need to have him dealt with later.

She needed to find her wife, and there was the first problem. She needed to see how Clove was doing with her own eyes.

This time Aurora was not weak at all. In fact, she was too strong. Aurora was a goddess, the most powerful being. She had no idea how she would be able to hide her aura and power. They leaked out and affected her surroundings.

"Oi. Stop daydreaming and follow me. We're already late." the guard called. Aurora decided to focus on her attempts to reel in her aura later. She hurried to catch up with the guard before she was left behind.

The first step of her revenge had already started. Once she had a clear understanding of the Tower's general power level, she would be able to start planning her next step.

Maybe it was also time to pay a visit to some potential allies. Aurora had a few in mind.

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"Oi. Stop daydreaming and follow me. We're already late" Aurora hurried to catch up with the guards, her mood instantly lifting at the thought of seeing her wife again.

Whatever blood Aurora had with the Quince, she'll settle it later and likely in private. She did not want to show the world what she could do.

Her feet did not feel like they touched the ground when she walked. Aurora could feel the glances she was getting through the corridor.

Being a goddess meant that she had a divine body. It drew unconscious looks her way without any effort. Unless Aurora learned to tone it down, she would be the recipient of such glances from all around her.

Aurora could feel the lustful thoughts aimed her way. While she did not mind being looked at, being a target and sexualized for no reason did make her uncomfortable. She wanted to kill off all the other filth who dared to look at Aurora like she was a piece of meat.

"We're here. I think you should cover yourself a little more. You know, so that you do not get stared at so much." the guard pointed to Aurora's burst that threatened to escape her garments.

Aurora did not care. The Abyss Tower was giving her the creeps.

The only thing keeping her going was the prospect of meeting her wife was so close at hand. Aurora could physically feel her wife inside the room.

But something seemed wrong. Clove's aura was far weaker than Aurora had ever felt before. It worried her.

No, not even that. Clove's aura felt as if there was only a fraction of her soul inside her. The feeling of emptiness was glaring clearly at Aurora's senses.

"Welcome to the registration process. Kindly fill out this form so that we can get you registered" Aurora stared into a pair of friendly brown eyes. The female in front of Aurora was attractive in all senses of the world.

But she was not Aurora's type.

Aurora was more than half sure it was because of her divine aura. It left everyone, even females, appreciative of her power. But also drove the fact home that Aurora needed to tone down her magic.

Already, people had started to eye her up and down. She could see many even debating whether to approach her or not. Even Quince looked at Aurora like she was a fine piece of meat he wanted to devour.

But Aurora did not see the one she really wanted to see there. Aurora could not spot Clove in the masses of students.

"Thank you for the form" Aurora turned her attention back to the female in front of her as she took the offered form. The guide looked flushed at having Aurora's attention focused on herself.

Aurora shifted her eyes in dismissal. The guide was heading toward forbidden territory with Aurora.

Her aura made it really difficult to keep attention off of her. Aurora could already spot people eying her up in interest.

Aurora chose a corner to sit down and fill out the useless form. She did not need to do all this, but Aurora wanted to do everything right for her wife. Who knew what changes could occur if she allowed her power to burst forth and change the start of everything.

For all she knew, her wife might never meet Aurora ever again.

"Hey, you know you're too bright. You should tone your aura down. Or, you'll attract unwanted attention. I can already see my childhood friend eyeing you up." And all of a sudden, the pen in Aurora's hand froze.

That familiar voice near her ear felt perfect and brought tears to Aurora's eyes. How long had it been since she had last heard that voice? It had been far too long for Aurora.

"H-Hey, are you crying? P-Please don't cry. I don't know what to do when I see a beautiful person cry" The honey-haired female stepped in front of Aurora, her eyes filled with worry. Aurora felt herself lose her bearing train of thoughts.

It was the first time she felt like abandoning her revenge plot and joining the Abyss Tower again.

It was Clove. And she looked just like she had so long ago, young and beautiful.

It made Aurora want to touch her and hold her. There was so much to talk about between the pair. But it all seemed so insignificant right now.

Clove's soul was a glaring dark hole to Aurora's senses. It knocked Aurora out of her thoughts and made her really take Clove's physical form.

Unlike her, Clove was still thirteen. It felt wrong to see her. Aurora found it impossible to look Clove in the eye. There was too much age difference between them.

"I..nothing is wrong. All these stares just make me uncomfortable. I feel like they are undressing me with their eyes." not that Aurora minded. She did not care about modesty, but she knew her Clove had a soft spot for these kinds of things.

Besides, as much as she could not make a move on Clove until Colve grew up, nothing stopped her from seeking the younger's attention.

And just as she had expected, Clove's eyes went soft. Her expression settled into that 'hard yet determined' mask. That was the same look her wife had when she had made up her mind.

Nothing could change Clove's mind once she had decided on something.

The next thing Aurora knew, she had a small hand tugging her arm. Aurora was being dragged around by the young princess. Aurora felt her face flush at the contact, her arms feeling hot and her body frozen.

Even more, eyes turned to the stunning pair, many people even trying to take a step forth. But with the addition of Clove in the mix, the guards jumped in as well.

"Oi Clove, where did you disappear? And who's this? A new servant?" that arrogant voice was one Aurora hated so much. It had been a thorn in her side. Quince had tried repeatedly to make her wife leave her side.

"Stop being mean, Quince. She needs our help. You know, I was thinking-"

"-if we can take her as a party member. You know we cannot. I cannot be counted on to protect two damsels in disaster. One is already enough of a burden. Even I'm not that skilled." the brat Quince replied with an almost sneer.

Aurora felt her annoyance rise at being underestimated.

The man, no, the child, gave her a glare that would have made even the strongest warriors step back but not Aurora. She had put up with his bullshit before. And she was not afraid of him now.

"I don't need you to protect me. I can wipe the floor with you any day" her declaration might not have the best timing, but it was something. She could no longer take it back. She would have to back her words with her actions now.

It was also the best time to test how her competition faired in skill level.

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"I don't need you to protect me. I can wipe the floor with you any day." Aurora's voice echoed in the empty room. She could feel the people's disbelief as they looked at her. No one believed her words, not even her dear Clove.

And it hurt badly.

But most of all, her words seemed to have pissed Quince off. Those narrowed eyes spoke of trouble and a promise of hardships that had yet to come. But Aurora was not afraid of those eyes. She had faced the worst.

"MUHAHAHAHAHAHA

And suddenly, the tension around the battlefield was cut by an annoying yet familiar laugh. The current Abyss leader had decided to grace their small group with his presence.

If there was one obstacle Aurora needed to crush, it was this man. The Abyss tower was an overbearing power, but it was because of this man that it had the influence it did.

Aurora also knew that this man would be the biggest obstacle in her aim to set up her academy.

"What a surprise to see someone this young brimming with such power. Hey brat, where did you find this girl?" the old man forced his way into the circle. Aurora could see the interest in his eyes brimming.

Aurora instantly upped her guard, not allowing her emotions to escape. She might not be able to control her aura, but she could limit her mind from being read.

This crafty elder was not one to be underestimated at any time. He may have sensed the power brimming inside Aurora and decided to check it out.

'Darn it. I need a way to be able to turn this power off. I wish I had some kind of interface that could help me with it' Aurora cursed inside her mind as she remained calm on the outside.

If she showed even a hint of weakness, the other would jump up on it like a tiger on its prey. And while Aurora did not have anything to fear from him, the same could not be said for Clove.

"U-Uncle. I thought you said you were not going to come. Do you have any business with my friend here?" Clove interfered in the situation before it could get heated. Her sweet wife positioned herself to make a barrier between the elder and Aurora.

Her wife had been one of a kind. Aurora felt glad that she had not lost it even if she no longer had her whole soul.

And that was why it also stung that Clove could not be a part of her revenge. If Aurora decided to recruit Clove now, she would always doubt Colve's loyalties.

Aurora needed to give Clove time to decide what she wanted to follow. A betrayal like her past life would shatter her.

"Ah, a friend of yours? Where did you meet this 'friend'? And how long have you known her?" the old man asked, his gaze moving all over Aurora.

And for the first time, Aurora felt angry. The elder was trying to probe her mind for answers. It made Aurora feel violated.

But this elder would lose something precious soon if he did not leave Aurora alone. She did not have enough patience for his tricks.

"Hey, old man. It's not important right now. Weren't you required to run an urgent errand? Mom would be worried that you are late" Aurora was sure she could even feel surprised by anything Quince did. But if she could, she was close to it.

Never in her life would she have expected Quince to be the one to save her. His world was just loud enough for the nearby people to have heard. It was evident that he had done it on purpose.

Quince gave her a glare that clearly stated, 'I did not do this for you, but she could feel that her aura was affecting Quince. It was making him act out in a way he had never before.

He had not built up any resistance against a goddess's passive aura. Aurora's seemed to be potentially rabid and untrained. Aurora could see why Quince did not want her anywhere near the group.

The 'old man' could not refuse that claim without losing face. His position did not leave him any choice but to agree.

"That I do need to do, my boy. But why don't you and your friend join me? And maybe bring your new friend with you as well? I know your mother would be interested in her." the old man asked. His words made it seem like he was joking about this issue.

But anyone who knew the leader could tell that it was no joke but a command. The leader wanted Aurora to follow him. Everyone else held their breath to see what would happen next.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot. I have prior engagements I need to get to" Aurora did try to sound sorry. She did not even try and mask her words.

No one could take it for anything else than it was – a dismissal of the elder's words and actions.

"I see. It's too bad then, but it's good for me. Quince, Clove, let's leave now. I've found a third member for your starting party. Oh, and miss, make sure you find yourself a 'nice' party. It won't do you to die so young and beautiful." the old man warned.

And instantly, everyone staring looking at Aurora in interest changed the direction of their gaze. No one wanted to be the one to look her in the eye and become a target of the old master.

What a cheap trick the abyss leader was playing. Just because he was alienating Aurora from the Abyss's people did not mean a thing to her.

It was not like she was going to stick around any longer.

But it was alright with Aurora. Anyone who would fall for the leader's trick here would not be an ally to her. And Aurora had no intentions of partying with traitors this time around. She had enough of it her last time. There was no way she was teaming up with anyone under his rule.

No, she would seek out people she knew she could trust and that deserved a second chance at life. She had been hopeless last time.

This time she was a goddess. She knew what she could do. She could offer people power and fulfil their wishes.

Some people could change this world. Some people could do so much good but did not live that long.

Aurora would take them all in and make her academy a success.

And Aurora watched the people go, her eyes locked on the form of her wife, well, former wife. Aurora vowed that this was not a mistake. She would set up the academy, change the world and get her wife's soul back.

And maybe, just maybe, she felt a little ashamed to be facing her wife right now. It had been her selfish wish that had taken Clove's soul away by parts.

Clove left the area.

Aurora felt her heart become heavier.

And since her wife was no longer here, there was no point for Aurora to stay here any longer. There was nothing else she wanted from this place. She had already sensed the power level of the Abyss Tower's elites.

And really, these people were too under the Abyss's thumb to even think of going against him. Aurora would just be wasting her time even if she did stay here any longer.

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"Eh, Miss. Aren't you going to fill the form and wait for the matching?" the female who had handed Aurora the form asked with a confused face as she watched Aurora leave the venue.

"Not interested. I don't need blind people on my side." Aurora's words were met with a wave of protest. People did not like to be jabbed in their weak sports.

And these tower lackeys were too stupid to see that they were being used.

These people had no idea what they were doing here anyway, nor did they know what the Abyss Tower was planning for them in the future.

And they certainly had no idea just what the truth of this world was. The Tower were all risking lives for a purpose they would not even live out to see. The bottom of the abyss was hell.

9/10 people standing inside this room would die by the end of the first floor. Which made them a combination of brave and foolish to try out for the Abyss exam.

So Aurora walked out of the venue, leaving everyone tunned behind her.

She knew it would not be long before talks about her spread around. People like her were rare. She had gone a step further and even insulted the Abyss leader.

There would be retribution to pay for her actions. Aurora was not foolish enough to think that the Abyss tower will not try and take revenge on her.

The attempts would be vicious once they knew her plans about opposing them in their own game. But Aurora still had time.

The outside world looked so different from the history books. Gone was the land that once housed the human and had been replaced by a bottomless hole.

The only thing that had survived even after the engulfing abyss was the mountain peaks. The only way to survive was to build on top of such a harsh place and use magic to hold the settlement together.

But since the land was sparse, several bridges were used to connect various pieces of floating land. The world had become airborne.

And Aurora used one such bridge to get to the overly populated town in front of her.

By the time anyone thought to stop her, it was already too late. Aurora was gone from the compound and any hope they had of catching her had been reduced to zero.

But Aurora knew that the Tower will not give up so easily. She needed a disguise to hide.

That was why she swiped some clothes that could hide her. Then she headed to the city's secret port. One that would lead her to the underground section.

She knew what she would find there. But her target would have to wait for a little while.

She had an even more important thing to do first – get her powers and aura under control. Or she would be found in a matter of minutes.

Aurora had power.

But she was far from foolish. She knew she was not invincible and she would be a better study subject alive. The Abyss would try to get her at one point or another.

She needed to get her powers under control and find a way to learn how to use them.

'If I remember correctly, my guide said to concentrate your magic into your core and form an external connection to release it in. That was how you formed a familiar with your latent magic" Aurora focused her magic in her hand.

Nothing happened.

Well, a small explosion did take place. But it was not strong enough to do anything. Aurora had not anticipated not happening. She released her magic as soon as it felt like she had lost control.

The problem with having too much magic was that she had no way to control it. And since there was no manual to help her with this stuff, Aurora had to learn everything with the hit and trial method.

But she did vow to keep a 'trial and error' journal with her. She didn't want a repeat of these incidents in the future after all.

The trial-and-error method was incredibly frustrating but rewarding as well. It had helped Aurora learn things she would not have otherwise come across for a long time.

Like, how to dim her aura.

It had been an accident when she tried to create a familiar. She had somehow managed to turn her over-flowing magic off and concentrate it inside her body.

But it was difficult to achieve.

"You know, you can try putting a little less magic into your familiar? It might help it retain the small form better" Aurora did not get startled. Or so she would like everyone to believe.

But the voice had spooked her. It was familiar to her. But Aurora was sure she had never heard it reaching that octave before.

Aurora turned her head to look at the new arrival, only for her eyes to meet a familiar red.

The girl in front of her was young. Much too young. But there was no denying those red eyes that sparkled with joy and happiness.

"Hey. Nice to meet you. Name's Rita." the younger yet taller girl replied as she jumped down from her branch. Aurora gaped at her like a goldfish before realizing that she was not in a dignified position.

But still, she could not help but pinch herself as she watched a younger Rita land on her feet. The last time she had seen Rita, it had been when the younger had died for her.

She had really been a loyal friend and perhaps something more if not for Clove.

"Less magic? What are you, an expert in familiar magic or something?" Aurora asked in a cold voice even as her insides felt nervous. She had no idea how to face a young and happy Rita again.

Her words caused the redhead to pout her adorable smile. Rita still seemed to be sensitive about her 'familiar magic'.

"I'm more than an expert. Just trust me, alright? I've been doing this for longer than you've been alive." the girl replied. Her voice had that disappointed sour note in it.

However, there was a look of uncertainty on her face, a hint of insecurity.

'Ah, she must be afraid that I won't believe her. She's what? Seventeen right now?' seeing as how most people don't develop their abilities till they visit the Abyss tower, it did seem a little ridiculous for Rita to be making that claim.

The earliest age for one to enter the Abyss tower was thirteen. But that applied to only 'special cases.'

Most people who entered the Abyss tower were nearly sixteen.

But Rita had been 'special' since her birth. It had branded for her a life of solute and loneliness. One that was marked as cursed.

"What is it? Not going to ask me to 'not lie'?" the girl asked in a small voice. Aurora shook her head at the disbelief look on the redheaded girl's face.

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"No. I believe you. The world's crazy and so is the abyss. In comparison, your claim about having done magic for your whole life doesn't seem that out of the realm of possibility" Aurora could feel the disbelief and hope in the girl's voice.

"Really-?" the girl didn't get to finish before the pair heard urgent footsteps coming their way.

Rita looked startled and a little guilty at the noise but Aurora knew what was happening. The guards had come to escort Rita back to her 'room' and they would be here any second now.

She could already hear the shouts of 'Lord Rita' in the background and she could tell that the girl in front of her was startled as well by the new arrival. Her expression looked to be a mix of worry and guilt and it did not suit her at all.

"Hurry, come this way with me. I know how we can dupe them for some time" Aurora whispered to the startled female in her arms. She had a feeling she could not allow Rita to go back with her guards.

Something about the trusting smile Rita splashed her with seemed to melt Aurora's heart. How long had it been since she'd last faced such a sincere smile?

"I…that would be lovely. Not that I don't want to go back or they are bad people or I'm being abused or-" the girl babbled trying to assure Aurora that she was alright but Aurora did not care for the half-truths.

She saw the longing in Rita's. The longed to be free and to leave this caged life behind her. It was an earnest request that reached Aurora's soul and she decided then and there that she was not going to return Rita unless Rita wanted her to.

Aurora might not have enough control of her powers to ensure a safe victory but she was not going to lose here.

"You don't need to worry, kid. I might not look like it but I'm pretty strong. Besides, I can smell your reluctance to go home quite clearly" Aurora got a puzzled look for her efforts to explain but she did not have time to sit around and expand on her words.

Had Rita always been such a worried individual? The one in Aurora's memories was a mischievous yet battle-hardened warrior that had been sent as a backup for them.

The shouts and the footsteps, both were closing in on them and there was only a small window of opportunity left for them to take. Aurora grabbed the taller girl around her stomach and threw her up her shoulder in a 'sac carry' style.

Not the best or most comfortable of the holds, but it would do for now.

Her actions had shocked Rita enough to stop her futile struggling and she realized it a bit too late that she was being taken away by a stranger. It should have been a humiliating sight but it just looked awkward.

Most people would have panicked at this point and called for help but Rita could not help but find peace in this situation. She did not know what it was about this stranger, but she felt familiar and safe to Rita's senses.

"Are you…eh,… Am I being kidnapped?" Rita asked in a small voice, still trying to wrap her head around what was happening to her. Rita was not sure she had ever been in such a situation before.

Sure, there had been successful kidnapping attempts made on her life but those had been put to an end by her a lot sooner than they had been allowed to get to this stage. However, Rita knew this time was different.

Not only her magic, but even her mind felt at peace in the female's arms. Rita did not know why, but she did not mind being carried away by the blue-haired beauty. Even the laugh she let out sounded melodic and out of this world.

She liked that voice and the person attached to the voice. This was a first for Rita and she could not understand why.

"Kidnap? Weren't you willing to come with me willingly? I don't see you struggling to get away" the beauty replied back in an amused voice.

And it was true for the most part. Rita could feel that she would be let go if she struggled even a little bit. But she did not want to go back to the stiffening atmosphere of her room. She wanted to go out and explore more. She wanted to see more and feel more.

"Hey, wait. Put Lady Rita down. Otherwise,e we'll be forced to retaliate" the guards had finally seen them run away and Rita waited for the spike of fear to enter her heart.

After all, the guards were not gentle and had been trained by the experts of the Abyss tower. As such, they were really powerful and took to their duty quite seriously. Rita did not want them to catch this lovely lady that just wanted to help her out.

"You can put me down here before the guards catch us. They'll likely not chase you once They have me" Rita explained, waiting for the other female to drop her. It had been fun while it lasted but she knew it was time to go home.

She waited and she waited but the other seemed to have no intention of putting her down. Instead, the beauty seemed to be picking up speed.

"Hey. Didn't you hear me? You should put me down" Rita tried again, trying to get free. But her heart was not in the struggle.

"Don't want to. And you don't want to go back either, right? Stop resisting" the lady seemed so sure and Rita just gave up. It no longer mattered to her what happened to the other. She had played her part.

She watched in remorse as a guard tried to skewer Rita's carrier right through her chest, being mindful of Rita who was on her shoulder.

These guards had been trained specially for weird situations and Rita was sure the situation could not get weirder than this. She already regretted inviting the kind stranger into this mess and closed her eyes in silent prayer.

And then the guard passed right through them along with his weapon. All Rita saw in those last few seconds was the startled expression on the guard's face and the joyful laughter of her carrier.

"Hold tight. It's going to be a deep fall" were the last words Rita heard before she felt her body free-fall through the air.

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"WE'RE GOING TO DIE. WHAT DID YOU DO?" Rita's heart was beating fearfully, afraid that it would be flattened at any second. The velocity at which they were falling did not help reassure Rita of their survival chances.

And the worst part about it all? The stranger was still holding her captive in her shoulder which gave Rita no chance to use her summoning magic. Even if she did try, the backlash would be felt by both of them and send them hurling through the air.

And beneath their falling bodies lay the abyss. The darkness eclipsed the whole landscape, leaving the ground as a bottomless surface. Rita had never entered the abyss herself but she had heard stories from her guards. And they were not pretty or inspiring.

"Are you suicidal? Why me? Why did you close with me? Will we continue to fall the whole time? I heard that the abyss doesn't have an end. I don't want to be here" Rita felt tears hit her eyes as she looked down.

So this was how she was going to die? At the hands of a madwoman who did not see it as wrong to jump down directly into the abyss? So what if the lights coming from the abyss looked pretty? That did not mean it was the right idea to jump down.

"You complain too much" Rita felt herself being moved in that embrace and the next thing she knew, she was on the beautiful girl's shoulder again. The one carrying her made a small impact which felt like they had landed on solid land. The lights surrounding them also neared and were at a touchable distance now.

T-There really was ground down here. Then, did that mean the abyss had an end? It seemed to be shallower than Rita had expected it to be. But maybe the abyss and its depth had been an exaggeration? Its corrosive magic felt weak to her.

"I-Is this the abyss?" Rita asked, her voice shaky. She had been mentally counting the days for this very moment. She knew she was nearing her initiation date into an abyss team and she had been hand-picked as well.

But now that she was finally here, Rita could not help but feel afraid of what would happen next. She had never imagined herself to be in the abyss alone, much less with a stranger that had dragged her there.

"Abyss? What are you talking about? We're in the underbelly right now, trying to get to the pleasure district. The abyss is 1000 or so meters below us" the blue-haired female reassured and weirdly enough, Rita believed her.

After all, this place did not give off the same amount of oppressive feeling the Abyss's taint gave off. Rita could breathe the air in and it did not harm her.

"If we're not in the abyss, then where are we? I never knew there was another city this deep beneath our own" Rita marveled at the dark and gloomy architecture of the place. Most of it was mismatched and did not fit together.

No two buildings were alike in looks or even maintenance. They all looked like they were falling apart and it made Rita hesitate to step inside.

"Such places exist beneath every city, even the holy one, not that they'll ever admit it. But these underbellies are a necessity to keep the upper cities working. No, don't make eye contact" The blue-haired girl's hand landed on Rita's face and turned it away from the direction she'd been staring at.

The pair staring back at her glanced at her companion and something in their gaze just changed. Rita could sense the moment they decided to make a move and she instantly felt like she should be on the alert.

"Hurry. Walk fast but don't run. We don't want to alert any unsavory parties about our location" Rita nodded as her companion took her arm and started to drag her away.

But it did not deter the pair from following after them. Instead of slowing down, it felt like the guards had sped up even more and the guards were about to catch up to them. Rita wanted to tell her companion and she even opened her mouth…

…only to stop. How did she call the lady at her side? It was not like Rita even knew her name or anything.

Had Rita actually consented to leave with an unknown person out of her own will? Hadn't she been warned again and again about this? How did that happen?

"Don't panic. We're almost out of their hunting area. They won't follow us into the red valley!" Her beautiful companion explained, totally missing the origin of Rita's panicking.

However, something in Rita told her not to ask the question now. People down here were weird and they were observing Rita and her companion with a discreet eye. And if not for her training, Rita would have never noticed this at all.

Rita's eyes moved back to the pair following after them and she saw them falter just as her companion entered the alley and put her down. Rita had not even realized that she had been carried around on the other's shoulder this whole time.

"They won't bother us anymore since this area is under protection. Now, what are you going to do now?" The blue-haired lady asked. She did not sound demanding but something in Rita made her want to reply back.

Rita paused, thinking back at all that had happened in the last few hours. She had been free and void of all her responsibilities but she had also been thrust into a world she knew nothing about.

As such, there was only one correct answer for her.

"I want to go home. Please take me back" Rita requested, even as her heart sank. Being free had been awesome but she knew she could not remain free forever. She had responsibilities and had people dependent on her back home.

She just hoped that the female in front of her understood.

"You're free to go back. I still have work here to do so I'll be going ahead now" the lady turned and Rita felt panic settle inside her.

She was not going to be left alone here, was she? T-There was no way, right?

"What is it?" The blue-haired lady asked as Rita caught her wrist. There was no way Rita was going to traverse this place alone.

And as much as she hated to admit it, the blue-haired female was the only one she felt like she could trust. So the other was stuck with Rita whether she liked it or not.

"Uh, I think it'll be better if I come with you, what's your name again?" Rita asked, only to get an amused chuckle in return.

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"Uh, I think it'll be better if I come with you, what's your name again?" Aurora watched Rita with an amused smile. It was almost adorable to see her once-friend be so careless and not be hardened by battle.

Still, she had never taken Rita to be someone careless. She was still somewhat surprised that Rita had even agreed to go with her in the first place. The Rita she remembered had been somewhat paranoid.

But it had also been the abyss where they met so Aurora was not sure it counted. But she did decide to tease the poor girl at her side.

"Ehhh. You didn't even know my name and you still decided to follow me down here? My, you must be really brave" Aurora's voice had just a hint of that tease she always used.

Not that she behaved like this often. Her more playful side mostly came out when she had been with Clove.

To be like this with someone who was not Clove should have been tough but it felt freeing to Aurora. She had spent so much of her life focused on Clove that she had missed a lot of other experiences. One she could make up for before she met her wife again.

"I, it's not like that. I know you're a good person and Ikindoftrustyou" the last words took some effort to understand but once they did Aurora felt touched.

Trust was something that was difficult to come by in their world. The abyss was hailed as a place of destruction and power, not of trust and friendship. Rita might not have known it, but her one sentence had made Aurora's day.

She would like to treasure Rita's friendship this time around and even give her a second chance at life. She would not let Rita die this time around. Still, she needed to have words with Rita about stranger danger.

"It's good that you trust me but don't just follow any person offering to help you out. God knows there are not a lot of good people left in this world" Aurora was only half-teasing by now.

"I know all that. Doesn't change the fact that it was you who decided to take me along. Take a little responsibility here" Rita replied back with just as snark. For the first time, Aurora could see the flash of her future friend in this young girl.

Maybe there was hope for the future to shape out as the way it had been. But was that really for the best? As for the present, it was better to live in the moment.

"Responsibility? Aren't you a little young for me? Also, are you sure? Once you bind yourself to me, there is no going back" Aurora teased even further, not being able to stop herself.

She might be getting too much into it all, her face almost at chest level with Rita's eyes. And Aurora could see the interest shining in Rita's red eyes. The girl was familiarly eyeing her and that meant that playtime was up.

As much as Aurora would love to keep this play up, she did not want to encourage Rita to start something she did not understand.

"I-responsibility? What do you mean?" Rita's gulp was audible and so loud that it caused Aurora to scoff. Yup, it was getting out of hand alright.

"Oh, nothing much. Stick with me for a bit longer and I'll take you back home. For now, though, I do need to get my work in there done" If Aurora had time, she would have taken Rita back to her home first.

But time was something even a goddess could not control (at least Aurora did not think so). And there were things Aurora had to set in motion before she could start searching for Clove's souls.

She would not only need resources but people as well. She would need trained soldiers who would be her shield and allow her the connection needed to live out her life in the shadows.

"By the way, what could you possibly need in a place like this that you could not get above here?" Rita asked as she eyed the buildings with a disgusted look.

Aurora felt sad that Rita was only looking at the surface to judge this place. She had no idea just what kind of hidden gems these underbellies were, brimming with talent. It attracted all kinds of crazy that could not exist in the normal society.

"The upper surface has wealth while this place? It had talent. Don't underestimate these people just because they don't have the means to get a proper education. Most of them outlive normal people in the abyss" Aurora knew of a few people who had ventured into the abyss's depths.

The brightest of diamonds really were forged by the harshest of the conditions. And Aurora was about to recruit one such entity in a matter of minutes.

The first stop would be the last place one could think to look for such a person.

"Your ID. I need to check if you are of age or not" The bouncer asked as he guarded the door. The muscular back and the huge body made him look intimidating but Aurora knew she could take him out if she really had to.

Thankfully, she was not here for the same thing the normal people were.

"I.D? I'm sure there is no need for the I.D to get into the lower floors?" Aurora flashed her arm, her magic making ink disappear from her arms as a familiar sign pulsed beneath it. She had sensed it when she had first come into this body.

It was her old one, the one that became the goddess. It had retained each and every mark she had ever born and yet they did not show up on her skin unless she willed them to.

"And her?" the guard asked, not even beating his eyelashes at the mark. Rita looked confused, as did the others in the line behind Aurora. She had cut line and it might have been thanks to her goddess's allure she had barely let out.

But now people were starting to notice and they would complain if she did not hurry.

"With me. We'll take the backdoor so there is no need to see us off" Aurora dragged Rita, not waiting for the confirmation. She knew her mark would allow her the entry since it had retained its original magic.

"What happened? How did you get past the guards?" Rita asked in a confused voice. The pair watched as the bouncer thrashed another client for presenting a fake 'I.D.' Man, these people were strict with their protocols.

"That's a trade secret. I'll tell you once you're old enough" Aurora spoke as she placed her hand on her lip in a teasing way. But she knew she would take her secrets to her grave this time as well.

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"This place makes me nervous. Do we have to be here?" Aurora would have been annoyed by Rita's complaints if she did not sound genuinely scared. Her eyes held a fear Aurora had seldomly seen before.

And Aurora had a feeling that she'll be seeing more of Rita's emotions in this short while. The girl had not perfect to mask them yet.

The squeak Rita let out as she almost stepped into a creek was amusing though. It was only Aurora's quick intervention that saved Rita from falling into a hole. The floor was just too old and rotten at some places to be able to take her load comfortably.

The place really looked gloomy and uninviting at first glance but Aurora knew it almost as a second home. It had just been too long since she had last been here and she appreciated the consistency of this place.

"The one I need is here. He might be the only one who would listen to me right now anyway" Aurora assured as she dodged another shady step. She recognized the work of her 'sworn-brother' and knew how to avoid the traps.

This was something everyone associated with the man learned sooner or later. Rita had a hard time before she had learned in the original timeline. Aurora did wonder if things would be the same this time around or not.

However, if the disdain on Rita's face was anything to go by, the female did not enjoy these harmless traps as much as Aurora did. A pity really.

"You talk like you're a wanted criminal or something. I didn't see you committing any crime-" Rita started, only to stop mid-way with a flushed face. She likely remembered that her being here might be considered 'kidnapping' by most people.

Even if she was here by choice, the conditions that had led up to this point had not really been ideal and painted a completely different picture.

"Well, nothing to be done about it now. And I was in trouble way before I met you anyway. Also, watch your head" Aurora warned before she yanked the door open.

She already knew she had to dodge the incoming glitter powder held on top of the door frame but Rita had no such knowledge. Even her warning did not help her keep herself glitter-free.

"Welcome stranger. Are you here to party? What would you like? A coke? Rum? Or perhaps something a little more 'spicy'?" Poor Rita was red in the face as the young man neared her face.

But as fun as this interaction was, Aurora did not have time to fool around right now. She would not have used her trump card if she did have the time to look for another way.

"Can you leave her be and come with me for a second? I need to talk with a handsome man like you" Rita gave her a relief-filled murderous look as Aurora took the offending man's arm in her own.

Aurora just angled her body slightly to show off her mark and she instantly watched the man's eyes turn toward her arm. He seemed confused as he took in her mark and then her face, likely not recognizing her.

"I see. So this cutie here is yours? Man, all good ones are either taken or gay. But maybe I can change that? Now, why don't you follow me to my room and I'm sure we can work something out" the man flirted, his expression losing his momentary hardness.

But Aurora saw beneath the mask. That voice had been no suggestion but a command for her to follow. The man still had an advantageous position between her and Rita so Aurora was not going to try anything.

"Alright. I guess we can work things out" Aurora flirted back, feeling a little awkward. She had no practice doing this so she tried to channel what her wife would have done had she been in the man's place.

And it seemed to have worked. No one batted an eyelash their way anymore, their attention focused on their own prey. There were only a handful of people in this section right now which made their escape easier.

Aurora took Rita's arm in her own, gave her a beaming smile, and then proceeded to drag her after the man.

"H-Hey, let me go. I don't want to-" but anyone who heard Rita's words left them unsaid. Aurora knew what kind of message she was sending by dragging an unwilling Rita after her into a dark room but it did not matter.

This was an underground society in the pleasure district and it did not judge anyone who stepped in here. People were too drunk to even remember their own name, never mind Aurora's or even Rita's.

Aurora almost shoved Rita into the room when she tried to hold onto the door to keep herself out of the room.

"-Pervert, sick, what kind of human are you? Is that why you wanted me to trust you? Are you going to sell me to the pleasure district?" Rita questioned as she was dropped onto the ground.

Aurora had gotten sick of having to drag her around and had proceeded to just pick her up from her middle and get her inside. The man who had led them here entered last and proceed to close the door after him.

Rita curled protectively over herself, her eyes flashing and daring everyone not to move. Aurora wanted to applaud her for her tactic but she also wanted to smack her for irritating Aurora this late.

"Charming companion you got there. I take it she doesn't know anything about it. And sorry to say, but who are you? There is only one person who could look like you but you're neither the right age nor have the correct sign to be that person" the man asked, all the flirtatious tone draining from his voice.

Aurora felt her back straightening as soon as she heard those words. Of course, her sworn brother could always take command of the room as if he owned it.

"Yeah, it's kind of a long story which I cannot go into detail about. Just know that things happen and your guess is correct. The sign should be proof enough about my identity since the magic is unique" Aurora assured as she finally sat down.

Rita, finally convinced that she was not in danger of being done anything, also chose to sit. But she was far more tense and vigilant than Aurora was.

And the man just sighed and looked as if he was done with his life already.

"I can see that. Aurora, just what did you get yourself into this time? It is still you, right?" the man asked in a pained voice and Aurora automatically replied.

"Not my fault Rex. Well, not fully at least"

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Those had not been the first choice of words Aurora had when she had first thought about explaining her situation. But reflexes were hard to master.

And in this case, it meant opening her mouth to deny all accusations made against her person, even if it was half her fault this time.

The silence that descent in the room was awkward and Aurora could see Rex questioning his life choices.

"So, you know this guy Aurora? He's good?" Rita asked, finally relaxing her tense body. The awkwardness that had risen due to Aurora's thoughtless reply had made her forget that Rita had even been here.

And now she felt doubly embarrassed at showing this side of her to her friend. What must she be thinking of her? It made Aurora kind of glad that Clove was not here to see her blunder.

"Hey, I would have you know that I'm an extremely honest guy. I'm only like this to gather information, understood? And you, you better start spilling what happened to you" Rex replied, his tone frustrated.

Rex had been a short-tempered guy who had just gotten worse as the time had passed. Aurora genuinely did not even remember what he had been like when he was not tense.

Rita seemed to not be believing Rex's words, her eyes darting back to Aurora to confirm her safety. For Aurora, this situation was not one she ever thought she would be in. Rex and Rita had never met in her original timeline.

"He's good so we can trust him. I came here especially to recruit him for a project" Aurora assured, tackling one problem at a time. Rex did not look amused at seeing him being ignored but he held his tongue.

Really good progress her sworn brother had made. Or maybe it was his lack of progress that had assured that he remained calm.

Aurora took in a deep breath, not sure if she wanted to talk about her current situation. But she had to. She would need all the help she could till she figured out how to use her powers right.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I am from the future? I was supposed to come back in my original body and somehow ended up messing things up" Aurora explained in the simplest of ways.

"Of course you did. I'm not even surprised that something like this could have happened. Since you are here like this, I believe that something went wrong somewhere but never mind that. You are here to ask for help? Be more specific and I'll see what I can do" Of course, her brother did not need much more than that to be able to read her.

They both had grown up in conditions that had not been typical so it was no wonder that they had grown closer. Even Rita looked excited, her eyes shining as she leaned ahead to be able to hear better.

Aurora took in a deep breath to calm herself down. It was now or never.

"I am going to set up an academy. One that will train the abyss aspirants and help them venture deeper and deeper into the space. I need your help to achieve that" The glass slipped out of Rex's hand and even Rita looked shocked.

It was a given since the very idea of setting up an academy opposing the Abyss tower was stupid. It was akin to suicide and there was no way it was going to succeed.

However, this was the only shot Aurora had if she wanted to cover the abyss and look for Clove's split soul. And it was not like Aurora could cover all of it on her own with other gods and goddesses around.

"You want to do what? Tell me that you've lost your mind and that's why you are spouting this nonsense. I'm out" Rex replied as he turned to leave. Even Rita was gaping like a goldfish, her mouth opening to speak but then thinking better and not speaking those words.

However, Aurora was not as worried. She knew things from the future which would help her. She also knew some of the inner workings of the Abyss Tower, having to spend a lot of time there in the company of Clove and others.

She was not talking out of her tits.

"Are you sure? I've lived the future, you know and I can assure you that it is entirely possible to topple the current political system on its head. Right now, the Abyss Tower had a monopoly on the power but it'll not last forever" Aurora was taking a gamble here.

She might not have received any warning about spoiling the future, but she was not naive enough to sprout it all out in one go.

To reel a fish in, you needed to bait it out first. And Aurora knew from experience that nothing people more than forbidden secrets.

"Are you serious? I take it that the future is not something you can talk openly about? Aurora shook her head. Technically, it was not a lie since Aurora's instincts told her not to spoil the future.

It might be her new nature as a goddess, but she could feel the magic tense up when she started to talk about the future. It indicated that it did not like her actions very much.

However, she had done her part and the bait had been laid. Now all she had to do was to reap the benefits.

Maybe probe a little bit more.

"You are free to believe me or not to believe me. But I do have a lot of advantages. I might also have an idea of the 'thing' you are looking for. I can't say it yet but if you help me out, I will reveal the hint to you before the time comes" and that nailed Rex's attention.

"Fine, deal. The fact that you know I am looking for something makes me believe you. I can't guarantee you the desired outcome but I'm willing to help you out" Rex replied.

And honestly, this was what Aurora had expected. Her body finally relaxed and the tension in the room bleed out. Aurora expected him to leave after his outburst, but the man flopped down on the couch instead.

"Take the side room for now. It'll not be ideal if you went out right now since there are some shady people here. But I can't guarantee you will get a decent night of sleep here. This is the pleasure district after all" Rita looked confused as Aurora ushered her friend into the side room.

Rita might not have gotten what Rex meant but Aurora was not as innocent. She was sure her face was flaming as she left the room.

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Read Abyss of Dual Cultivation: Goddess's Lust system Chapter 11 online for free - AllNovelFull

"GYAYAAAAAA" Aurora woke up with a start as the loud noise penetrated the thin walls. She hated this place and the way her body was heating up at hearing those voices of pleasure.

It did not help her that Rita's decent-sized burst was rubbing against her arm. It felt good but also wrong. And it was not the only part the female was rubbing against Aurora.

But Aurora tuned it out of her mind since she did not want to think about it. She did not want to get aroused in here since she had no means of relief.

Having tasted the pleasure of sex, Aurora could not help but imagine her wife's hand on her body, her fingers inside Aurora as she was teased mercilessly. Clove had a way with sex which left Aurora wanting more.

"M-MORE" The voice penetrated Aurora's fantasy and brought her back to the present. She had not realized that her hand had inched closer to her lower half in the meantime and Aurora felt mortified.

Had she truly been about to play with herself when she had Rita in the bed with her? Would it have counted as cheating on her wife? Even when Aurora did not have a wife right now?

"Hmmm" Rita's unconscious body shifted before Aurora, her hands venturing over Aurora's body, causing Aurora to freeze. Rita's hands were close to her pussy and if Aurora moved, they would make contact.

The situation was not one Aurora had expected to find herself when she had first lept in the bed.

There had been only one bed in the room but Aurora had not thought much of it. She was sure that Rita was not attracted to her like that and Aurora already had a wife so sleeping together should not have been a big problem.

Of course, she had not accounted for her body to feel heated up as she heard those indecent voices. Nor could she had accounted for Rita's weird sleeping habits.

And now Rita's hands were moving once again. Aurora had to muffle her pleasure-filled noise as they brushed against her pussy lips. How the younger had not woken up, Aurora was not even sure at this point.

But she knew she could no longer take it. Aurora had to get away from Rita and this bed. She had to take care of herself before she made a mess of the bedsheets and have to answer uncomfortable questions in the morning.

She tried to push herself off of the bed, but it caused Rita's hold to tighten and her body pressed against Aurora's even harder. It was all too much and Aurora gasped in horror as she realized that her new body was sensitive.

It was responding to the voices around her, feeding off of the pleasure-filled noise. She was sure she did not have this problem before so it must have something to do with her goddess powers.

The thought finally gave her enough power to push herself away from Rita and caused her to fall to the ground.

"Wha-Are you alright?" Rita asked, finally waking up. The noises of pleasure and loud banging had not been enough to wake her up but Aurora's fall had been?

Had it not been for Aurora's knowledge of Rita from her past life and her character, she would have believed that the other was doing this on purpose to harass her.

"Nothing. I wanted to go to the bathroom. You can go back to sleep" Aurora replied, wishing for the other to miss the needy tone her voice had.

And somehow, it worked since Rita just turned around and went back to sleep. Aurora was not sure how the other managed to tone all these voices and feelings out but she was thankful for it.

She hurriedly entered the bathroom, closing the door after her and pulling up a muffing charm. She did not want to be heard when she tended to herself.

And her hand finally came down to trace her lower half. It had been soaked wet and so sensitive to even her touch. It had to be something her goddess powers did.

Aurora had been someone who had been hard to please. Her one hand had done nothing for her in her past life and many nights have even ended for her without release. She usually focused on Clove's pleasure and her dull sensitivity did not help the matter.

But now she felt extremely sensitive as she fingered her lower lip open. She felt the cool and hot feeling of passion touch her magic as her mind flooded with pleasure not her own.

It almost felt like she was channeling others' magic through her body and it made her body even wetter.

Aurora did not venture her fingers too deep in herself, choosing to focus on her clit for now. And her body instantly felt a shock go through it as soon as she did. It was powerful and Aurora did not even realize that she had released it till she brought her hand in front of her mouth.

It had been soaked wet with a shiny substance that did not look like a human release. It had a golden tint and honey-like hue that made it look almost divine.

And as Aurora brought her hand closer to her face, she got a whiff of strong magic from her hand that caused her to almost gag at the strength.

It felt like molten magic used to restore mana. It was a high-grade abyss substance that could potentially save someone's life and had sold for a lot on the black market.

Coincidentally, her release felt like that to her and Aurora finally felt the implications of this draw over her.

She was no longer human and it took an orgasm to realize this fact.

She quickly washed the evidence of her play away, not wanting anyone to find out what had happened here. She would think about it all when she had more situational awareness.

For now, she would try to force herself to sleep through the horny magic around her and the pleasure-filled feeling she was getting from this place, and tomorrow she would leave. She was not sure she would be able to live in this place long-term.

The morning came too early for her and Aurora did not feel even a little rested. Rita looked fresh when she came out of her shower but her refreshed face felt mocking to Aurora.

And then Rex had to audacity to open the door with a dang, causing Aurora's headache to get worse and she finally snapped.

Rex received a pillow to his face for his efforts and Aurora felt her mood lifting.

'Serves him right'

"The resistance agreed to help you out. I did not tell them everything but they decided to take this chance. However, they asked to be kept informed about your next moves" Res explained, nursing his cheek.

There was a huge red print on his face where the pillow had hit him and Aurora felt guilty about it. It had not been her intention to hurt Rex but things had just happened like that.

"I see. I'm thankful for their assistance. I will make sure to keep in touch" Aurora assured as she picked up the tea that her brother had served her. She hesitantly brought it up to her lips, only to curl up in distaste.

Yup, the tea was just as foul as she remembered it to be. She could even see Rita choke as soon as she had a taste and Aurora felt avenged for the unintentional teasing of the last night.

"Now, I assume that you'll be leaving this district? The resistance would like you to keep on hiding here for a little longer but I can see that you are not interested. And frankly enough, I don't think it's safe for you as well with you looking like that" Rex explained as he gestured to Aurora.

For a second, Aurora felt genuinely confused at the attention. She had to double-check that Rex meant her and not Rita when he said those words, but he was gesturing to her.

Aurora had never been the most attractive girl in the room since her wife had always been present. And even if someone had been interested in her 'assets', her cold and interested attitude had put people off.

But now? Now was a different case since Aurora had the goddess's allure.

"I see your point. I can't allow Rita to stay here as well" Aurora replied. Her words conversely that she knew what Rex was talking about but it was not all about her. It was also about Rita and her safety.

And maybe she was letting her weakness be known to her brother by doing this but she did not care. She trusted Rex to a degree and having him on her side would be a great boon.

Even if he did not look happy about her choice to bring Rita along, she knew he would respect her enough to protect her if things came down to it.

"Fine, do what you want to but you do know that I can't help you get out. My cover would be blown if I did and I can't risk it right now" Rex sounded stressed.

Aurora did not sweat it since she already knew her brother would be of no help in this regard. He had already played his part by contacting the resistance on her behalf. It was not the only organization committed to bringing the abyss tower down but it had the most influence.

As such, their help would be invaluable in the upcoming battles. Aurora knew exactly what they could do since she had been a hidden member in her previous life.

"Ummm, won't it be difficult? I've never even heard of this place before being dragged in here by Aurora so doesn't that mean that it's really difficult to get out of? Otherwise, the existence of this place would be common knowledge" Rita asked with a nervous voice.

This was the first time she had spoken during this conversation and Aurora was surprised to see her speak.

She had watched Rita step around Rex nervously, her eyes darting to the man and keeping an eye on him.

It was clear that she had not yet forgotten their first meeting and Aurora felt amused to see this change. But she also knew that Rita would come around to knowing Rex.

What a change a few years could make on a person's relationships.

"It is common knowledge in most circles, just not talked about in the open. The tower is also trying to actively suppress the news about this place since they see it as their biggest shame. Not that most people care or want to get out" Rita looked confused at the prospect.

Maybe for her, living in this palace sounded like a punishment. This place was dark and unhygienic in the worst way possible. It also lacked resources and the precious sunlight needed to survive was almost negligible.

But Aurora knew the real reason people came to the undergrounds was to escape. This place had a degree of freedom associated with it that was not found on the upper surface.

It was like a heaven for the outcasts, a place for the strong to survive and conquer.

In a way, this place was similar to the abyss and was the perfect ground to learn how to survive down there. And that was also why the tower did not eradicate this place.

"So, how do we get out? I have a place in mind for my academy but I need to be on the upper surface to get the process started. However, I am planning to include the underground in my scheme as well" this place was a goldmine of talent.

And Ideally, this was the perfect palace to start the academy but it would not change anything. To oppose the Abyss tower, they needed to be recognized by the main people as well.

There were also precious resources being hoarded by the mainland people but that would come later.

"This palace as well, huh? You are really suicidal to even think of the Rocx valley as your base. But I'm beginning to think that your kind of suicide is acceptable. And that is why I'll give you the address of a reliable broker that can get you out of this place" Rex replied.

As usual, he had guessed what Aurora had not said. Rocx valley was one point where the underground and the surface converged. Rita seemed to not know about Rocx valley, a typical reaction to her sheltered upbringing.

Rocx valley was dangerous since it was a middle ground for both places but too dangerous to be tamed.

As such, it was wasted land but it did have a direct connection to the abyss. It had been placed under the 'do not use' land status a long time ago and only the ambitious thought about that place.

But Aurora had more than one reason to chose that place. Not only was it perfect for what she was thinking about, but it was also one of the only places that could get her permission to set up the academy once she had enough funding.

Rocx valley was also called the valley of death and anyone who had even thought of using that palace had ended up as dead.

"Here, she's someone who can get anything done for you if you pay her the price for it. She's a greedy witch but one who had a reputation in our circles. Coincidently, she's in the underground right now" Rex sounded vexed as he handed Aurora the card in his hand.

She could feel his reluctance as she took the card from him but she could not figure out why that was. But her questions were answered as soon as she opened up the business card in her hand.

"Michell, huh. My condolences to you for getting robbed" Aurora tried to sound sorry but it only came out as an amused laugh. Knowing Shelly, she must have robbed Rex out of a good amount of fortune.

Michell, or Shelly as she liked to be called in the business, was a witch that would do anything for money. Aurora had a strict business relationship with her in the past but she had considered the other a reluctant friend.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll see just how bad she is once you deal with her yourself" Rex replied and Aurora could not wait.

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When Rex had talked about Michell's place in the underbelly, Aurora had anticipated it being a much more sophisticated place than the hellhole she found herself in front of. The other female liked to hoard and spend money as she liked.

By the time Aurora had met her in her past life, the other had an empire build-up of wealth and a workforce willing to do her bidding. She had also been a background helper for the resistance, willing to trade them favors in exchange for rare goods.

Michell had also been a feared name since she had been one of the people who had seen the deeper abyss and knew how to navigate the first few floors safely.

"Wow, this place sure is run down. Couldn't the witch fix it all with magic?" Rita asked from Aurora's side.

Aurora had not wanted to bring Rita with her initially but she had no choice. Leaving her alone in the pleasure district was not an option and neither was Rex.

Aurora was 80% sure her brother would have tried to rope Rita into unspeakable situations if Aurora had left her behind.

"Just because her title is 'witch' doesn't mean she's a magic user. But don't let your guard down in any case. Michell can be incredibly dangerous, even more so than most magic users you have met" Aurora cautioned.

As much as she hated to admit it, even she was not sure if her current self would be able to get Rita out of here safely if a fight did break out.

Aurora had magic coursing through her but it was unpredictable and as good as Rita was, she still did not have access to her best summons.

Michell on the other hand was a well-trained killer. She was also ruthless and it was only her greed that could stop her from going on a rampage.

"Oh. Then why do they use the title of 'witch' for her when she can't even use magic?" Rita asked as she followed Aurora into the abandoned building.

It was almost falling apart around them, even the columns were deformed and had their inner surface exposed. The place was not somewhere anyone would want to live unless they had no other choice.

"It's because I can make your wish come true. That is if you pay me the right amount for it. But you already knew that, did you not?" The voice sounded lighter and younger than how Aurora remembered it being but the figure standing on top of the beam looked the same.

Michell jumped down, her metallic half making noise as she reached the ground. Rita looked taken aback at seeing a half-humanoid and half-mechanical being in front of her but it was not such an uncommon site for Aurora.

Once you went through the abyss once there was not much that could surprise you. And some things were just impossible to get back once they were stolen from you.

"It's an honor to meet you, Michell, or rather, 'Witch Shelly'. We would like your help" Aurora gave a half-bow of greeting. It was a customary way to tell someone that they were on the resistance side.

If the time was still on the right track then Michell should have a temporary unspoken alliance with the resistance. As such, she would likely hear them out if Aurora showed her goodwill.

And it did seem to work.

"Let me guess, you want to go to the upper surface? Easy enough task but the speed would depend on what you can exchange for it. I am quite a busy person after all" Michell neared them and Aurora held her ground.

The other was seizing them up, seeing what they were worth. If Aurora backed down now, then she would be marked as easy prey and lose any ground she had.

She knew how Michell worked and she also knew how to handle her.

"I'm sure I have a lot of things you would be much more interested in than money. For example, the location of your lost specter" Aurora replied in the same tone of voice Michell had used.

She knew the moment the other realized what Aurora was talking about. Not that she felt guilty for using their weaknesses against them.

"You do? Well then, come inside and we shall talk" Michell stomped her feet at the ground once and it caused a trap door to appear.

Michell did not waste time in jumping down and Aurora took it as a gesture of 'follow me.'

"Are we jumping down as well? Can't I stay here?" Rita asked, not liking the thought of jumping down a hole again. The last time she had been forced to do that, she had ended up in the underbelly with Aurora.

And Aurora understood that train of thought. She was not going to force Rita to follow her. If Rita decided to follow her, it had to be her own choice.

"Do what you want" Aurora's answer caused Rita a bolt of surprise but Aurora did not stick around to see her reaction. The hole swallowed Aurora when she jumped down but she did feel someone reach out for her arm at the last second.

She turned around, only to meet red eyes glaring back at her fearfully. Rita had taken the chance to latch on to her wrist.

"Don't you dare leave me behind" Rita hissed as she was dragged down as well. Aurora decided to humor her but she could see the floor coming closer.

And that made Aurora react. She twisted her body and caught Rita in her arms before they could be flatted. Aurora was sure she could only see in the darkness due to her goddess powers.

This darkness was not natural and she could feel magic lace the air around her. It made her stand on the edge and also question Michell's motives.

As far as she was concerned, Michell's main motive had been money. The female usually did not play these kinds of games with someone willing to pay her.

The air shifted and Aurora had a split second to take out a knife and defend herself with the sword while still holding on to Rita with her other hand. She shifted Rita to rest on her shoulder so that she could have a better range of moments.

The sword changed directions and Aurora saw the glint heading for Rita. Aurora swirled out of the way and twisted to position her right side against the attack.

Her eyes met a flash of Amber before she retreated with her baggage.

"WAAAA. WHO IS ATTACKING US?" Rita questioned as she tried to calm down. Poor girl had no idea what was happening and even Aurora was stunned to see this development.

She had not thought she would find herself in this situation so soon.

"Stop attacking us. I told you we were willing to pay, right?" Aurora asked her voice tense. She could not comprehend why she was being attacked by Michell in such a way. Her distress caused her to drop her shields as well.

Her glamour and Goddess allure must be shining through her skin since the attack did stop and Michell stepped ahead.

"That man was right, there is something different about you. You don't feel human but not in a bad way. I'm willing to believe you now" Michell explained and Aurora finally put Rita down.

It took her some time to realize that this all had been a test to know if she was trustworthy or not. And there was only one reason for this to happen in the first place.

"Rex sold me out to you" Aurora was not angry but she was pissed. She did not feel betrayed by Rex since she had expected him to let the news about her out. It was a good way for her to gain recognition in the circle.

But at the same time, could he not have told her about this? It would have made things easier for her.

"Not sold but he did make an exchange. And now I want to make one with you as well" Michell explained, much to Aurora's shock.

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The weapon was pushed down, and so was the tension. Aurora had not even realized that she had taken a protective stance in front of Rita but it did make sense for her to do so. She was fond of the girl and Michell was not a soft person.

But it did shock Aurora a little to see Michell of all people coming up to her for a trade. Michell was someone who never did things that did not profit her in the long run.

"An exchange, huh? Now you've got my interest" Aurora felt her curiosity spike as she calmed down. Now that there was no immediate threat looming over her head, she could take the time to access Michell.

"Hey, she just tried to attack us. Should you really be arguing with someone like her?" Rita asked, no doubt still salty about almost being killed. Not that Michell would have done anything to her. Had Michell wanted to kill them, they would be dead by now anyway.

However, it did make Aurora realize that the situation was a little out of hand for her. She needed to get the control back in the next few minutes or she knew she would lose the advantage she had gained here.

"Just to remind you all, this is strictly business for me. If you are interested, follow me. The specter is important to me but it's not invaluable" it was only because Aurora knew Michell that she caught the lie in those words.

The witch was really good at lying her way through any interrogation. Maybe that was why she was such a good candidate to get secret information through.

"Aurora, are we really going to follow her? What if she kills us?" Rita asked once Michell was out of their audible range. Aurora was sure the half-human could still hear them just fine from her range so she did not try to hide her real feelings.

Besides, she knew it was about time Rita got her life set straight. As fun as her innocent days were, she would not survive long with such a weakness.

"Sometimes, it is better to consider the future than the present. People like Michell are rare and it'll benefit to have them on your side. But of course, you don't have to forget or even forgive. Just tone your feelings down for now. She's the only one who can get you home" Aurora knew she was being unfair to Rita.

She should not be the one to inform Rita of all this in the first place. But this was just how the situation ended up as. Aurora could not look Rita in the eye when she followed Michell further inside.

And that was why she missed the curious and frustrated expression on Rita's face as the younger one followed after her.

"You'll take us to the surface?" Aurora asked as soon as she saw Michell observing the wall. Her hands moved all over the surface as she tried to find something there. Likely a trigger or something similar to open a door.

"Yeah. But more specifically, I'll be taking you to the edge of the surface now. You caught me at the best time since I was about to leave this place as well" Michell commented.

And again, another surprise. Not the timing, but the words.

"You don't want the information beforehand? What if we refuse to pay you after you take us up? Not that we're not going to pay or anything-" Aurora stopped before finishing.

This string of fortune was suspicious. She could not see the angle Michell was going for here and there had to be an angel here for Michell to attach herself to the cause. She just had to ask the question.

"What are you planning? You're not such a benevolent soul and for you to delay payment is unheard of" Aurora asked. She could see Rita catching up with the duo and waiting for her.

It also gave her the slightest view of Michell's expression. And the grin looked disturbing and greedy at the same time.

"Don't you worry your pretty head about this? Let's just say it's a part of a previous deal for me that had been paid for. As long as you are willing to give me the specter's location, everything would be alright" now it was confirmed.

The resistance had likely made a deal with Michell on Aurora's behalf. Whether it was a bribe or a peace offering, Aurora could not tell. What she could tell was that she had Michell interested in her.

"Whatever you people are brewing in the background, keep me out of it and we'll have a great partnership" Michell's grin widened at those words.

"Deal. Let's have a good partnership" Rita looked unimpressed at the deal but she did not object to the action. Not that it would have mattered much at this point.

The tunnel they were in was fragile and a single step would cause it to cave down. They had to move in there carefully and follow after Michell to not get lost.

Almost a few hours went by walking before Michell knocked at the upper surface before lifting it. Aurora's vision was filled with green as she lifted herself out of the tunnel.

"Here we are. Now, my payment" Aurora handed the paper with information in Michell's hands. She did not mind parting with that information.

The shout of 'finally, freedom' sounded from behind the pair as Rita made her way up as well. The poor girl barely made it out, her face red due to the lack of oxygen at the end.

"Going? Not gonna question the validity of the information?" Aurora asked once she realized that Michell was starting to move away from the group.

"I don't think I need to. Being in this business gives you a third sense of such things. And besides, you won't live long if this information is wrong. After all, I don't like to lose money" as much as Michell was joking, the last words were serious.

Aurora had seen the lady gut people for less.

"How charming of her to get the last words. I don't like her at all but I'm willing to give her the benefit of doubt. She did get us up" Rita replied in a sour voice.

She looked dirty and tired, but happy to be out in the sun. Aurora just shook her head at the younger actions, not paying her any attention for the time being.

"Let's get you home now. I'm sure you've had enough of my company" Aurora replied, getting back a beaming smile from Rita. She was not sure she wanted to know what was going through her head.

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"Let's get you home now. I'm sure you've had enough of my company" Aurora did not like the look she was faced with when Rita looked back at her. It was a mischievous smile that did not bode well for anyone involved.

It caused Aurora to involuntarily take a step back as soon as she saw that smile but Rita had no intention of letting her go.

For every step Aurora took back, Rita took one forward toward her. It was an involuntary chase that did not end till Aurora's back hit the tree. Rita was too close and her expression clearly told Aurora that she had a plan in her mind.

And she was willing to bet anything that it did not involve going back to her home.

"Are you that tired of me already? Didn't you say you were going to take responsibility for me?" Rita asked with an impish grin. It was a direct contrast to the earlier timid nature she had shown. This felt more like the Rita Aurora had known in her time.

Some kind of switch seemed to have been flipped inside the younger's mind that caused her behavior to change. Aurora had not sensed any kind of external interference for this but you could never know.

After all, the closest place to the abyss without stepping into it was the underground.

"I'm not tired of you or anything but I don't want you to force yourself as well. And I thought you wanted me to take you home?" Aurora asked, earning herself a pout from the younger. In a way, the pout was assurance that whatever had caused Rita to change had not managed to get her fully.

'Her older self would be so mortified to see this pout' the thought was amusing but brief as it crossed Aurora's mind.

"Well, that is true but I don't want to be locked up in my room just yet. Just let me spend a little more time out here. Ah, I know. Why don't we take care of some business of yours?" Rita's eyes were glowing as she asked that question.

Aurora knew she should not indulge Rita in this. It would build up bad habits and give the younger girl a wrong idea about Aurora.

But at the same time, was she really going to see Rita after this? Rita would be busy with the abyss while Aurora had an academy to handle. It won't hurt to let Rita make a few more fun memories.

"Fine. You can accompany me for now. But please, follow my words this time. We were lucky that Michell did not want to cause any trouble for us" Aurora almost pleaded. Rita's expression spoke volumes about her thoughts on Michell but she held it on to herself.

Aurora took the small victory, hoping that it signaled the things that were to come. If only she knew what caused Rita's behaviors to change so drastically in such a short amount of time.

"I get it, alright. Stop lecturing me and lead the way" Aurora shook her head fondly as she was ordered around. She did not mind letting Rita have her way for now. And she did need to make a hasty call.

Now that she had established the connection with the revolutionary and gained their forces and funding, she needed the task force. She would need at least a few experts on her side but she did not have the time to scout them all out.

Moreover, Aurora knew the people she was going to target for certain positions but she had no way to get in contact with them on her own.

But the biggest problem of this all was the Rocx valley itself. As good as that place was, it was still uninhabitable. Aurora was counting on her goddess powers to help her make that palace useful.

But if it failed, she would need to make some house calls and call in some favors with other higher powers who may or may not remember her. There was no telling how her time-reversal had affected the other gods and goddesses.

Two things happened at the same time. Rita clasped Aurora's arm, causing the elder to flinch just as a scream echoed through the park. It lasted only a second before it was muffled but it was enough to send chills down someone's back.

The scream had been loud enough to cause Aurora's ears to ring and the terrifying feelings reaching her also caused her to freeze. They felt cold and gripping to her and Aurora almost kneel from their intensity.

Aurora tried to send soothing feelings back as a means of help, but the panic and fear were too loud to allow her help. Aurora had no option but to focus and knock the source of that voice out.

The process came almost naturally to her but it took time to understand what her instincts wanted her to do.

"Rita. stay here while I check it out" Aurora called as she reached for the younger one at her side. But Rita was not there. Aurora had not even felt the hand on her arm disappear and she quickly spread her senses for the younger.

Logically, she knew that there was no way for Rita to get kidnapped right in front of her without Aurora feeling her emotions but her system was still trying to cope with the empathic shock it had felt.

Luckily, Aurora was able to feel Rita's aura and followed it. She found the younger kneeling in the tall bush, her attention focused on the clearing in front of her.

A still-bleeding body lay there and Aurora felt Rita's intention of jumping out and claiming the body back. It was only Aurora's quick reflexes that managed to stop Rita from exposing herself.

"Let me go. She's my servant and I need to help her out. This treatment against her would not be tolerated" Rita sounded angry. She even looked angry and Aurora was not surprised to see this reaction.

Rita had always been attentive to her friends and those under her command. This made her a reliable leader that people wanted to follow and Aurora knew that it had sprouted from the fear of losing dear ones.

Rita might not have ever openly detailed her losses but it was quite clear that she had lost people.

"She'll be alright. Let me check her out" Aurora assured as she left the bush. She was a low-risk target when compared to Rita and there was no reason to attack her here. Worst comes to worst, they would try to take her alive to question her.

Or so she thought. But the arrows aimed at her told a different story. The body had been a bait.

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The attack was executed with the intention of killing her. Aurora was sure that the arrow was also laced with some kind of poison to take her down. Her instincts told her that she had just dodged a fatal blow to her head.

"Tch. Sit down and let me shoot you" the annoying voice yelled. It startled Aurora enough that she jumped back in time to avoid the other arrow. It was lucky since she had not sensed anyone else in the vicinity.

Granted, Aurora was not using everything she had in her arsenal, but still. It was a major achievement. It also indicated that her mind and body were not up to par with her powers and she lacked a lot of control.

"Be careful and don't kill her. We need her alive to know what she did to Rita" another voice stopped the next attack on Aurora. The archer pouted as she looked toward her partner with a disappointed look.

Aurora decided to use this distraction for a different reason. She quickly gathered the required magic for a flash spell. The pair in front of her had taken Aurora for a small fry so she was going to use that to her advantage.

Aurora locked eyes with the archer just as the flash spell went off And filled the area with light. It was so potent that no one who saw it would be able to see it clearly for a few minutes.

Anyone else but Aurora. Being a goddess had its peaks. Even if it made her eyes throb due to the intensity of light, her vision had not been affected in the slightest.

Aurora took this time to gather the fallen person on her shoulder and headed to where she could see Rita trying to sneak out and help her. Aurora's hand clasped around Rita's arm and dragged her along.

Aurora could stay back and fight her way through the guards but she was not sure if it would help her. She was not worried about herself but about her companions. Both of them were dead weight and reminded Aurora why she did not like to team up with other people.

"W-What happened? I can't see anything. Did you use a flash bomb?" Rita asked as she was dragged along with Aurora. The poor girl sounded a little lost.

"Something like that. Keep your eyes closed so that they heal faster. Don't force them open" Aurora advised. She had fallen victim to many flash bombs in her time but what she had used was different.

Unlike most flash bomb's gas usage where you needed to clean them out with tears, magic ones needed time and darkness. Trying to open one's eyes here would cause more pain to them.

But where did that leave them now? They had a few people on their trail now and Aurora was not a fool. The hunting hounds would have been deployed behind them already.

"Rita, change of plans. We can't head to the Rocx valley right now. You know any other place we can hide?" Aurora asked. She would not have normally asked Rita for such a thing but she had a feeling the other could guide them.

After all, hadn't Rita been running away from her guards when she first met Aurora? There had to be a reason for her to be able to get away from her cagers.

"There are a few places we can hide but I don't know if we'll be able to get there. Do you think there are guards after us right now?" Rita asked in a worried voice.

Aurora would have answered her if the body on her shoulder had not let out a pain-filled groan. She quickly stabilized it as it started to slip again.

"We'll have to try anyway. I trust you to lead us to the location and then you can leave the rest to me" Aurora assured. She had a few tricks up her sleeve even without her goddess powers. (Not that she was going to use them. It was too risky for her with her lack of control)

"Alright. Then, there is a safe-house this way. It used to be Karina's home and I don't think she'll mind us using it" Rita assured.

Aurora did not ask who Karina was. If Rita thought it to be safe then it was their best bet. And if not, well Aurora was ready to fight if she needed to.

And that's how she found herself jumping through hoops and ducking behind towers. She tugged the other two behind as well, using her magic to block the searching devices she could feel being used.

"Take left. We'll enter the worker portion of the town" Rita led the trio behind her. Aurora had not thought that the sheltered young girl even knew this place existed but even Rita was not that ignorant.

Unlike the underground, this place was filled to the brim. Houses overlapped each other as they tried to occupy more and more space. It was not a healthy living atmosphere but it was all these people had.

Aurora took left as she finally entered the surface equivalent of slums. There were eyes on them, pointing toward them and judging them for all they were worth.

Aurora tried not to feel self-conscious but it was difficult not to react. It was just luck that no one questioned them throughout the way. Rita stopped in front of a shabby-looking door before she knocked at it.

"Hold your breath or you'll choke" Rita warned before the door barely opened and Aurora was greeted with a face full of a powdered substance. Luckily, Aurora had closed her mouth and her node at the last second.

She heard Rita try and cough, unable to hold her breath for long. Unlike Aurora, the other did need to breathe.

"Ah, sorry. I thought it was the tax collectors who decided to grace us again. What can I help you with?" The shivering body that exited the door was the oldest person Aurora had seen in her life.

The poor lady was all bones and skin and it looked as if a single gust of wind would blow her away. But her magic still shined strongly in Aurora's eyes and it made her pause.

Now that she looked at the old woman again, she could see a transparent magical coating on top of the old woman. Maybe it was some kind of glamour.

"Don't be sorry, help us out here. And don't you dare refuse. You owe me a few favors" it was the second time Aurora had seen Rita act this rude and she expected the old lady to take offense.

Instead, she just pushed her door open.

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The inside of the home looked nothing like what one would have expected from the run-down exterior. Had Aurora not stepped inside on her own, she would have never believed that something like this was even possible.

"Put the maid there. I'll go and prepare the supplies" the old woman replied as she stepped behind a curtain. Aurora could feel the heavy cloak of magic being stored behind that curtain but she held her curiosity in.

Mainly because Rita looked like she was about to puke her gut out due to her nervousness and Aurora did not want to make things any worse for her. Aurora was sure that this maid had some kind of connection with Rita but she did not want to push the other into telling her.

"You know, I just realized that I was a fool. I only thought about myself when I decided to leave. In the end, someone else had to pay the price for it" Rita started as her eyes moved toward the female in the bed.

It gave away about the kind of relationship she had with the female. Still, Aurora did not want to go ahead and make assumptions on her own.

"I'm sure you are curious about the identity of the female we saved and I feel like you deserve to know as well. She's a maid that was assigned to look after me. I guess they did not like it that she let me leave, even though she could do nothing to prevent me from leaving. And I don't know what they were thinking as well since she was new and we didn't even have a bond or anything and -"

Aurora stopped the speech by placing a hand on Rita's shoulder. It was tense and hard under her hand. Rita was going to hurt herself if she did not relax.

"I understand your guilt but you need to relax. It's not your fault, nor is it hers. But if you really have to blame someone, blame me. You'll have to go back home eventually ao blaming those people would not help you" besides, Aurora was used to being hated and blamed for things she did not do.

It would not be anything new but it would make Rita feel better (hopefully).

But the glare she got back clearly told Aurora that it was not going to be the case. Rita was stubborn like that so Aurora did not take it to heart.

"I would much rather be optimistic in this scenario. Also, what is taking that blasted doctor so long? It's been ages" Rita sounded annoyed but fond as well. Aurora felt that it was mainly the worry that was making her lash out.

However, this was another connection Aurora never knew Rita had. Not that she had paid too much attention to Rita the first time, but they had been friends.

"I wanted to come out but you people were being too lovey-dovey for me to feel comfortable. Now, if you've done then I would like to come out" the voice spoke from behind the curtain.

But it was young. Far too young to have belonged to the old woman. The shadow of the figure behind the curtain also looked taller and younger than before.

Aurora could only guess that the old lady had decided to put her glamour away when she went back. It would make sense as well since keeping glamour up took precious magical resources.

"Hurry up and come out here. I'll even pay if that's what you want from me" Rita sounded almost as if she was begging. Even if her voice sounded sure and hard, it was easy to hear the desperation in her voice.

"As if you'll be able to pay me. I don't lack money, kid and it does nothing for me. What I want are essences. Like, your friend here" Aurora knew the elder was talking about her.

As much as she tried to hide her aura, she just did not have enough control to be able to hide it from an expert. And this female doctor sounded like an expert if she could detect Aurora.

"But I'm calling in a favor. You can't refuse me like this" Rita almost shouted but the doctor seemed to have made up her mind.

"Yeah you did and that's why I let you in. You saved me from getting discovered once and now I did the same for you. As far as I know, we're already even" the lady replied. She sounded bored with the conversation.

Rita almost looked like she was fuming but held herself back. It must have taken considerable effort on her part but she somehow did it.

It seemed to not have mattered to the doctor at all.

"You're the one asking me for help because you know you cannot go anywhere else. You better be polite if you want my help. And send your friend in once you decide on your option but don't take too long either" the doctor informed.

Aurora didn't need an interpretation to guess what she meant. Their rescue did not have a lot of time left. Aurora might not have seen the wound but she could feel the light dimming inside the maid.

And it made her itch to help out. Her magic could help, it could heal. Aurora could feel the pulse of such magic but she still hesitated. After all, healing magic was a tricky thing. Aurora has seen a lack of technique to kill people when using such magic.

And as much experience as Aurora had with the magic and the abyss, she never had the opportunity to learn such magic in any capacity. If she had, then she would not have died and left her wife behind.

And that also gave her an idea. If this doctor was half as good as Rita made her out to be, Aurora knew she could make use of her.

"Rita, how good is this doctor?" Aurora asked, knowing she would get a biased opinion. Still, she needed to hear it before making any decision.

"She's good, so good that it's scary. I've heard that she can bring people back from the brink of death. And as much as I hate to admit it, she's the only one who can help us" Rita admitted.

And it prompted Aurora to finally make her decision. Rita sounded like she knew what she was talking about and Aurora's magic also told her that this doctor was powerful. This doctor was the real deal.

And that was what prompted Aurora to walk up to the curtain and slip to the other side.

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"So you did choose to come back here after all. Come inside and close the curtain behind you" Aurora shuddered at the seductive tone being used on her and her body reacted accordingly.

Aurora was loyal to her wife but even she could appreciate a nice body when she saw one. And the female in front of her was a vision with everything on display like that.

The former old woman now looked like a young and erotic vision that could have walked out of someone's erotic dreams. The skin was young, and so was the voice.

"Shouldn't you be wearing clothes?" Aurora asked, swallowing the saliva gathering in her mouth. The doctor made her nervous just sitting in front of her.

"Should I be? They feel rather restraining and would just get in the way of what I need to do next anyway. You do know how essence gathering works, right?" The female asked and Aurora nodded.

She did have a vague idea about the topic but she had never experienced it for herself. She knew clove had given some of her essences away before but Aurora never had the need to.

But from what she knew, the process was a little erotic in nature and required a lot of physical contact. The naked doctor's presence just solidified that claim in Aurora's mind.

"I have a general knowledge but I want to know – why me?" Aurora asked quietly. She could feel the curiosity and eagerness in the other's body language and it felt good to create such a reaction.

It felt nice to be acknowledged by someone other than Clove. It made her feel relevant and soothed an ancient part of her soul. It made her feel powerful to see the doctor looking at her like that.

"Why you? Can't you see the kind of aura you have? It's overflowing with power and it's the first one I've seen that is so bright. Your essence would give me so much room to experiment. Now come and sit. You don't need to do anything" the doctor finally stood up, her breasts bouncing with the motion.

There were hidden muscles in the doctor's body that made Aurora's mouth go dry. There was a certain compulsion inside her that wanted to touch the female in front of her and marvel in the wonder of pleasure.

"You can call me Freha. As you have guessed, I'm half-human and half-succubus. No, don't pity me here" the doctor replied back. Not that Aurora would have pitied the other.

Half-humans were a pretty common sight after the abyss had opened. Humans were an adventurous breed and could not stop their curiosity when faced with new species. (Not that there were no unfortunate cases in the mix)

Still, Freha did not look like she regretted her position or her non-human nature. She was one of the minorities that seemed to not mind her heritage.

"Are you sure it is wise to tell this to me? What if I tell you about the Tower council? Won't you be haunted?" Aurora asked, wanting to watch the other's reaction.

"Well, if you did then that's it. But I'm willing to take the risk because of a rumour I heard in the underground world. But that's a thing we have to discuss later. That girl outside is running out of time, so I would rather get started on it" Aurora nodded.

She could tell when the conversation had been dropped and she had no intention of continuing it any further anyway. Not that she had any intention of getting Freha in trouble. She didn't want to subject her to the tower's cruelty.

Not when such a person could become a strong ally in the abyss later on. Half creatures who had control over their powers were rare and a resource Aurora wanted to invest in. Those poor people did not deserve the mistreatment they got just because their parents could not keep it in their pants.

"I will need you to guide me further" Aurora replied, her breath hitching as her breasts were touched lightly. She had not felt Fariha move but the other had somehow made her way in front of Aurora.

There was a light shove that caused Aurora to lose her balance and fall back on the small bed the good doctor had been occupying seconds ago.

Aurora instantly locked eyes with a golden pair in front of her as she felt the demonic part of Freha rise up. The energy felt familiar to the abyss and caused Aurora to further drop her guard. It was a gentle coax as magic caressed her own and caused Aurora to involuntary moan.

It was such an intimate gesture and felt as if she was being played with. Lust was rising in the air and it was messing with Aurora's head. She could feel Freha getting more and more turned on as the time passed.

"Should I go further? I'll need a verbal confirmation once" the voice whispered in Aurora's ears as she felt the presence of those hands near her chest area. They were so close and would feel so good on her chest.

Aurora knew she should not do this right now since she had a wife.

'But you're not married right now. Experimenting a little won't hurt you. And Clove would not mind.' Her brain reminded her. It had not been like Clove had been a virgin either when they had gotten together, nor had they been exclusive.

There had just been too many situations that had caused too much trouble for the pair. And this was a medical emergency as well.

"Do what you have to" Aurora's voice came out far more vital than she felt at the moment. It held none of the breathiness that would have been expected of her, nor did it break under the pressure of her one desire.

But her words did cause the hands on her body to start moving and they finally rested on her chest to give it a light squeeze.

It felt good to finally have someone play with her chest. It sent sparks of pleasure down her spine and made her arch her back in pleasure.

It felt far better than it had with only her hands. The hands playing with her also felt experiences as they channelled the magic in and around her. She could feel something trying to connect with her magic and it sent sparks down her spine.

And all of a sudden, the hand on her chest tightened as it squeezed. It hurt but it also felt so good and Aurora had another body rub against her.

"F-Fuck. W-What kind of essence is this? It's so fierce and potent" Freha panted as she rubbed her hardness against Aurora's stomach.

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Aurora was indeed out of it. That had to be the reason for her slow response as different sensations of all kinds assaulted her body. A lot of it was unsuppressed lust that made her body heat up even more.

She would totally blame it for the reason she missed the obvious hardness pressing against her stomach when the doctor decided to rub herself all over Aurora. That had to be the reason Aurora did not notice anything wrong with her biology.

"Fuck. I feel like I can get drunk on your aura alone. How is it this potent?" Freha asked as she massaged Aurora's breasts. They were so sensitive now, feeling every little motion to the extreme. Aurora was being played with and it caused her illusion to fade away.

There was a slight shine to her body now that betrayed her 'human' disguise but Aurora was too far gone to care about it. She wanted to stop the female in front of her but she also wanted her to keep on continuing.

"Pay attention. Gather your power into your lower body. I'm gonna lick your essence out" Freha dared to not even sound out of breath when she made that demand. And that commanding tone did things to Aurora.

She unconsciously followed those instructions as she forced her energy to flow through her body. She could feel the formation of some kind of energy inside her but she could not pay attention to it.

Not when something, or rather, someone was tugging her clothes off of her lower half and exposing her sex to air. Aurora felt the urge to hide but she held herself back.

"Freha, what are you planning?" Aurora asked. Even if she had a feeling about what was going to happen next, she still had to ask that question. She did not like the mischievous glint in Freha's eyes.

Things happened when that particular look had been involved in Aurora's bedroom life. And Clove had been someone who hardly let herself go in the moments of passion. But when she did, it was glorious and left Aurora all kinds of loose.

Freha looked like she did not have Clove's inhabitation and would act upon her promise of doing things and making Aurora feel pleasure.

"Don't worry about it too much. Just sit back and enjoy the show. It's going to be the best oral of your life" Freha did not give her time to gather her thoughts before Aurora felt a jab of the tongue on her sensitive part. She could feel a wet sensation assault her pussy lips.

It felt weird but made her body feel hotter all the same. The sensation was foreign to her body but her mind connected it with all the fun such a situation had created for Aurora and her wife in the past.

Not that her mind retained the capacity to think when it was melting with pleasure right now. The tongue was furiously attacking her clit, making fireworks go off inside Aurora's mind. Her empathy was also picking up on the amused pleasure of her partner.

And then a finger probed at her pussy lips and slipped past her lips without resistance. Aurora knew she was tighter and wet since she could feel the finger very acutely. But her body did not provide any resistance to the finger.

"Your body is sure sucking me in. Is it that desperate for a good fuck? Essence like yours needs to be fucked out" Freha seemed to be enjoying this if her smug face was anything to go by.

She also had a thoughtful face as she looked back at Aurora's body that had been pierced by her finger. Aurora lowered her eyes, not being able to look the other in the eye when she met a protruding erection.

"What? Never seen a demon before? Most of us do have dual sex. I can use it on you if you are curious" Freha asked with a grin. That impish grin was Aurora's undoing and caused her to come on the spot.

Well, that and the breach of a second finger. It left her drained but also satisfied beyond belief.

"D-Don't you have your e-essence now?" Aurora asked with a pant. She wanted to rest but there was not enough time for her to do so. Her dropping pussy did not seem to think the same as it throbbed and heated up at the jab of Freha's fingers.

However, her words were enough to break the mood and cause Freha to harden her expression. The other pushed her fingers out and toward her face with a thoughtful expression.

The golden release seemed to be sticking to her fingers and the other observed it with a curious gaze.

"Yeah, it should be enough for now. You can freshen up in the side stall while I go and have a look at my patent" The docs were back in action. Aurora did not see what she did as she turned around but Freha's hand was clean of any fluids in a matter of seconds.

Seeing no point in staying back, Aurora decided to have a fast shower before joining the trip outside. The doctor seemed to be finishing up her patient but she turned toward Aurora when she stepped out of the shower.

"What's the status?" Aurora asked as she took a seat at the bedside. She was worried about the patient but even more so about Rita. The poor girl looked exhausted.

"She'll live but you better leave her here for now. She'll need a doctor to look after her and I can monitor her situation better from here" Freha explained as she made space for Aurora to sit at her side.

Rita had a constipated expression when Aurora took the offered seat and she also looked a little sick. But since Rita did not speak up, Aurora let the topic slide for now.

"I'll be in your debt if you do that" Aurora gave a small bow to the doctor which caused her flirty expression to falter for a few seconds.

"I would like to have some way to contact you but every communication line is guarded by the Abyss tower. And since the princess here ran away, I bet they would be on the outlook for you both" the 'princess' was mockingly aimed at Rita and caused the youngest to pout.

But it was a problem for them, this communication thing. Aurora wished she had something to rectify this problem. But maybe her powers could help? She had heard about an idea of a platform?

There were fantasy texts that told of a network often titled a 'system' that could various things. Maybe Aurora could make her powers work that was as well for convenience's sake?

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Rita was still pouting.

Aurora was amused to see the other fuming over what had happened with Freha but it was getting old as well.

"Stop getting irritated. If you're going to be like this, then you should go back home" Aurora teased as she tried to get her magic to work in a way she intended to. So far, she had managed to make a basic communication manual and a binding connection.

"No, I'll behave. But I'm bored. What are you doing?" Rita asked, finally giving up on holding a grudge. Freha was likely going to be a sore subject for her but it seemed as if she was finally over it.

Aurora's magic moved to connect the final piece in her interface and it finally managed to make a basic frame. It was workable and Aurora would be able to improve on it later.

"This is a system that would help our allies develop their magic. This is still in the testing stages but I hope to have it fully developed by the time we set up the academy. Want to try it out?" Aurora informed.

She passed the small light bubble toward Rita to take. This was relatively harmless for the most part. And even if something happened, Aurora had made sure that the magic would not be affected.

"It's safe?" Rita asked even as she took the small sphere. Aurora nodded in assurance and Rita finally clasped her hand around the small bubble.

Aurora watched in glee as a small screen appeared in front of the female and showed her level and other things. Aurora could feel the magic binding with the younger and scanning her.

"How does it feel? Try using it" Aurora encouraged. She had made the system an independent entity, not unlike a child. It would learn over time and improve itself but it was still quite new right now.

She had based it on a gaming screen she had the pleasure of witnessing on T.V. and she felt conflicted about its design and limitations. It was made to expand over time and would only be capable of basic functions right now.

Still, Aurora felt a thrill go through her as she watched Rita open the inventory and experiment with it.

The experimentation took a whole afternoon where they tried out different functions of the system. Rita had also gotten a few upgrades on her summoning magic as the system had successfully uncovered her flaws.

It seemed to be working as intended and Aurora handed another copy of it to Freha before the pair left the place.

"Remember, Rocx valley is not a gentle place and we are not trying to subdue it right now. We are just going there to check some things before we come back. Hopefully, Rex would have managed to get the necessary permissions by then" Aurora hoped her brother had.

Because they were already running short on time. Every second they spent here, the abyss was getting a new and powerful recruit that would give them an advantage. The abyss was expanding every second as well.

"So, I know that we are going there to scout the place out, but what does that even mean? Are we going to scout that place out?" Rita asked, sounding confused.

Aurora had expected that question so she did not mind answering it for the other. It was also a good time for her to see what her system could do in non-magic-related situations.

She opened her panel and scanned the area to get a map-like image. Rocx valley was the perfect place to experiment as well since it had the closest energy to the abyss on the surface.

The map she got back was far from perfect but it was a start. It had the basic topography as well as the landmarks. The only drawback was that it only covered a small portion of the valley.

"Before we enter the Rocx valley, you should be aware of a few things. The main valley is the place where the academy will be built (Aurora pointed toward the center of the map) but it is not the main place we will be targeting. Our real objective this time is to reach the Starlite cave"

The place Aurora pointed toward was just a little out of the map's area but Aurora knew the placement of the cave. It had been an important resource in her time and she did not doubt that it would become an important asset this time as well.

"Oh. Isn't it in the deeper areas? Should we not wait to tackle those parts after we have the academy and a little more force?" Rita asked. To Aurora, she sounded nervous and tried to hide it.

And Aurora understood why Aurora was feeling like that. They were already at the cups of the Rocx valley and the feeling of oppression coming out of the place was something else.

For those who had never faced the abyssal energy, this place was unnerving. But to Aurora, it almost felt like home. The magic she had acquired after becoming a goddess rejoiced at the familiar feeling.

"To be honest, I did not want to bring you here at this time but I don't have any other choice. There are things I need to do and people I need to meet before it becomes too late" since she knew of the future events, Aurora knew the importance of this place.

Contrary to popular beliefs, Rocx valley was not uninhabited. It had a lot of strong non-human races that were being sought by the abyss tower as slaves. It was only because of the aura and the guardians that this place had survived.

And since it had such strong protection. Aurora felt it was only right to seek permission to build an academy here. She did not want to alarm the guardians or the people living here.

And maybe, just maybe she would also be able to atone for the sins of her past. She had been one of the participants of the great purge by the abyssal tower as well and she had contributed to a lot of unnecessary bloodsheds.

She knew she had to at least try and make sure these people were safe this time.

"There are people down there? I won't believe it till I see it for myself" Rita sounded spectacle at her words and Aurora just shook her head at that.

"Well, then brace yourself for combat if you want to meet them. Not every creature down there is friendly" Aurora warned as she took a spear out of her inventory. She was going to make sure of the system as well.

Rita followed suit, not fully convinced but determined to follow after Aurora none-the-less.

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Read Abyss of Dual Cultivation: Goddess's Lust system Chapter 21 online for free - AllNovelFull

"Well, then brace yourself for combat if you want to meet them. Not every creature down there is friendly" when Rita had heard those words, she had prepared herself to fight. She believed in her creatures and summons to get her through the upcoming battle easily.

After all, her creatures were really powerful and nothing had proven to be a challenge to her powers yet.

That had been one of the reasons Rita had been enthralled by Aurora at the first glance. The female had excluded power and aura like nothing Rita had seen before. It had left her in such awe that she knew she had to have it for herself as well.

But nothing short of being petty had gotten her the wanted attention from the elder. If anything she felt like she had been neglected and this feeling of being ordinary was not something Rita had been used to.

And didn't know why, but she felt annoyed when Aurora's eyes were not on her. It left her raging quite hard and made other unfamiliar feelings sprout up inside her heart.

That was why Rita had wanted to take this time in the Rocx valley to impress Aurora. She had to show her worth in order to remain relevant. She would finally prove that she was an important asset.

Or so was what she had wanted to do. But fantasy and reality often held different expectations for her and Rita found her summons to be powerless in front of the huge claws of the abyss monsters.

She found the system flashing with 'the opponent's power level exceeded the user's and that made Rita's panic worse.

The monster raised its claw to attack and Rita braced herself for the impact. It was going to hurt badly and she was not sure if she could even survive.

But the claw never managed to reach her at all. Instead, it was cleaved in half and the monster in front of her disappeared in a flash. Rita only saw the silver flash of a spear before it was gone as well.

She had been saved by Aurora at the nick of time and she could only watch in awe as the others danced between the monsters and thinned their number. Aurora looked like she belonged here and even her steps had a lightness to them.

Meanwhile, Aurora relished in the kill. She had not felt such a thrill for a long time and it made her blood boil to dispatch these monsters. Most of them were not even capable of higher thoughts and only had killing on their mind.

But it felt amazing to wield her weapon once again. Even if it was only to last for a short time, Aurora wanted to make the best of it.

It would not be long before the outlanders decided to join the fun and that was one group Aurora didn't want to alienate this time.

She felt the thrill of battle but her senses also sensed the change in magic. There was a device that was using it up from the environment and Aurora felt the strike come her way.

She twisted her body as that the impact would not affect her but rather, land on the monsters behind her. And the impact caused the monster to disintegrate in an instant.

The mechanical fist did not stop. It made a noise Aurora was vaguely familiar with and then the first made another attempt at claiming her life.

"Wooo, stop right there. I am not your enemy" Aurora reasoned as she tried not to hit the outlander that had just arrived. They were particularly sensitive to magic but could not use any on their own.

The poor people called the outlanders were considered cursed as they could not use magic on their own but they had made technological advancements enough to allow their tools to be able to use magic instead.

Their living conditions in the Rocx valley had also made them particularly tough mentally and a force to be reckoned with. Despite the tower's best attempts, they were never able to get rid of these people.

"Tower scum are not welcomed here. Killing you is the obvious choice on my part" the man well, the boy yelled before he made another attempt on Aurora's life.

In another life, the child had grown up to become the biggest threat to the Abyss tower's power. He was responsible for killing many top recruits as well as the collapse of the main building.

He had never been caught but he had shown up time and time again in front of Aurora and made her question everything she knew. But Aurora had held on to her ideals for Clove and fought him every time.

For now, the owner of those powerful golden eyes was just a kid struggling in Aurora's grasp. She had caught his fist and held him into her hold.

And as soon as she had done that, the fighting seemed to have stopped around her. She had not even noticed the other outlanders thinning the monster's numbers around her till now.

"I am not your enemy so I would like it if you did not attack us. Until then, I'll hold him hostage" not a bright move to make for trying to gain someone's trust but Aurora knew that those would not hear her out any other way.

The prejudice against the tower ran deep in these people and for good reasons. But for now, their goals were aligned. Aurora was hoping that they could collaborate in their effort to take the abyss tower down. The Outlander's technology was something else as well.

The outlanders around her growled in warning, not liking the way she was holding one of their own. The kid in her arm thrashed, his horn coming to attack Aurora's unprotected arm but she held him in place.

The kid was strong but Aurora had the strength of a goddess. The kid would not be able to escape her hold that easily.

"You promise to not hurt him?" Aurora nodded as she carefully made her way toward Rita. The girl had been left alone this far but Aurora was not willing to take any chances.

"I'll not harm him. I came here to extend an olive branch and fight a common enemy. I would appreciate it if you would take me to your current leader" Aurora asked.

She could see that the group in front of her was stumped, not knowing what to do. They had likely never met someone this polite from the surface and Aurora kept her aura unthreatening.

It was up to them to decide if she was worth the risk or not.

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"I have a feeling that these people do not trust us" Rita whispered as she took a seat adjacent to Aurora. Aurora still had the kid tucked at her side as an assurance and her arm paid the price in form of a huge bite mark.

The kid didn't have the decency to even try and be gentle at all. He had gone full feral even after Aurora had handled him with care. She had no other choice but to knock him out for the time being.

Still, she had to give it to the child. He really was resilient and kept on trying to flee till the very end. It was a miracle he has not managed to injure himself.

"We will have a talk with our leader. He'll see you in a short while. Kindly handle our young master with care" the woman who had led them to the base replied before disappearing behind the gate.

It was brave of her to reveal the identity of Aurora's charge like that and the young goddess found herself impressed at the tactic. Normally, this kind of information would be thought of as a liability but in the current situation, it was a burden.

Had Aurora not already known the identity of the child as the next clan head, she would have panicked a little. But Rita had that part covered for her.

"This child? The next clan head? Isn't it too early to decide? Or is it something hereditary?" Rita seemed interested in the customs of these people and Aurora counted it as a success on her part.

She could see the group around her tense up at the question, not willing to expose any more information than they already had. So it fell on Aurora to break the awkward silence.

"It's the golden eyes. It is said to be a blessing from the goddess of victory and marks the next leader for these people" her words caused everyone to look startled. And Aurora understood why as well.

These people had gone a long way in order to hide that information from becoming public. They had not expected someone to just walk in knowing this knowledge. And as one, everyone stared at Aurora in warning, daring her to hurt the kid in her arms.

Aurora raised her hand in a 'mock surrender' kind of way to let everyone know that she had no intention of hurting the kid. It did not help the others feel safer around her but she could feel them relaxing a little.

And then Rita opened her mouth to make the situation worse.

"Wow. So he's really important? I guess we got the right bait?" In her defense, Rita had not thought over her words. She also did not have enough social experience to remember that some things did not need to be said out loud.

Aurora did not even have the heart to scold Rita for her mistake. Nor did she even have the time to do so. Before she could make a move, the other warriors around her had Rita in their grasp.

"I said I'm not a danger. If I really wanted to hurt the kid, I would have done it by now" Aurora recalled, but it did not help. The group looked back at her as one but they had a hostage this time.

It was at this moment that the gate opened and the first female exited out. It did not feel like it had been that long at all. The female just raised her eyebrow at the scene but chose not to comment on it.

"Master says that he'll see you now. Alone" Rita, who had been about to stand up and join Aurora as well, was stopped in an instant. And as much as Aurora wanted to help her out, she knew she could not.

Not if she wanted the negotiations to go well. She needed to show that she was harmless and had come in good faith.

But Aurora also knew that the outlanders were not nice people. They were loyal to a fault and talented as well but only to those that were deemed as 'acceptable' in the clan.

"Will you be holding her hostage to try and make me behave?" Aurora asked as she tensed.

"Hostage? Now, why would we do that? It's just insurance since you'll be bringing our young inside with you" the lady did not give Aurora an option to talk back.

And they both knew that she was right anyway. The golden-eyes youth was a significant piece of Aurora's plan.

"Rita, stay here and behave. I'll be back soon" Rita watched Aurora pick the kid up with resignation. However, there was no resentment on her part.

It did warm Aurora that Rita trusted her enough to know that she would not be risked. As long as Aurora behaved, Rita would be alright as well.

"Fine. Throw me to the monsters but know that I'll be back" her theatrics brought a smile to many faced but the outlanders' guard did not drop. Nor had Aurora expected it to but it did feel good to know that Rita was not feeling down.

"Once you enter the gate, follow this token. Do not lose it or you'll lose your protection as well" the woman warned as she handed Aurora the token.

The faint shiver the token gave off categorized it as a magical emblem or even akin to a 'key'. It was likely a trigger to prevent the defense mechanism inside the domain from enabling.

"I understand. Also, take care of my companion in my absence. She's somewhat of a fool but she means well" not that Aurora was counting on these people to help her out. They had their own priorities to look after.

But the woman in front of her was kind enough to nod in agreement and gestured to the kid in her arms.

"You take care of him, we'll make sure your companion doesn't get a scratch. But know that the goddess is always watching with her 'golden eye'. She'll know about this and ask retribution" the woman warned before she walked away.

Aurora felt equally amused and tired at those words. She did know that it was an option but she had weighted the risk vs reward spectrum and thought this risk to be worth it.

The goddess of victory was an odd one who favored humans. Aurora had never met her but she felt like she could get along with her if they did happen to meet in the future.

And if not? Then it didn't matter since Aurora was a goddess as well. She'll do what she would need to to survive.

And she'll hopefully also have a powerful army by then. One that could even trample the goddess of victory and bring her to her knees.

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Aurora walked for quite some time before she felt the bundle in her arms starting to wake up. She tightened her hold on the kid when she felt him struggle to get out of her hold.

There was no way she would allow the kid his freedom inside this domain. He held too many advantages.

The kid also held the key to Rita's freedom.

"Stop struggling so much. I am not in a decent mood. You will get hurt if you continue to show such behavior." Aurora's words finally caused the kid to stop struggling so much.

Even then, the kid did not stop giving Aurora the stinking eye.

"Let me down. I won't try to escape you." the kid asked. Aurora debated those words before finally letting the kid down. But not before taking measures against him escaping Aurora's hold.

Aurora was suspicious like that.

The kid yelped as the rope snapped around his arm. He gave Aurora a betrayed look. A weaker person might have crumbled under that look and apologized, but not Aurora.

"What the hell? I told you that I would not try to escape you" the kid sounded betrayed and angry. Aurora tried not to look too amused as she looked at the kid. He was radiating frustration and failure.

Aurora patted herself on the back for her quick thinking. The kid seemed to have recognized this place. He made no plans to escape her hold when she had her attention diverted.

"Sorry, kid. I trust your words as much as I trust the Abyss tower. Both of you are liars." Aurora teased back.

Her words were angering and hit their mark. The kid hissed like a jolted cat.

Aurora's fast reflexes saved her face from receiving a grave injury as the kid tried to snap off her nose with his clawed glove. The faint 'humm' of the engine betrayed the engine.

"Don't compare me to those tower scums. We are nothing like them." the kid yelled. Aurora had to take a step back and rub her ear.

Darn, the kid was loud.

The kid seemed unwilling to listen to her.

He was rude and loud as well. Those golden eyes gleamed in anger at Aurora. The wish for her to drop dead was visible in those eyes.

"Yes, yes. You're nothing alike. Now stop your weapon and walk in front of me. We're going to your leader. I suppose you know the way there?" The kid seemed suspicious but relaxed when she mentioned their leader.

"Our leader? That old man agreed to meet you when he didn't even have time for me?" The kid complained. Luckily, he did start to move.

The outlander's previous leader was not someone Aurora had much knowledge of. The Tower had taken measures to ensure that the secrets of the outlanders remained buried beneath the Rocx valley.

"You don't sound too fond of your leader," Aurora observed, almost surprised.

"It's not that. But it's frustrating to know that you are destined for something but do not even have enough power to achieve it. One day, I'll defeat the old man. Then, I'll have the goddess bless me and take my rightful spot" the kid sounded certain.

"You didn't hear anything," the kid hurriedly added. It seemed as if it had hit him late that he had been boasting in front of the enemy.

Aurora just let out an amused laugh at the kid's expense.

"Sure. Maybe once you hit the double digits, you'll be able to do it. A nine-year-old (I'm eleven) should not have to worry about these things" if the kid was red before, he was a bright scarlet now.

Aurora would not be able to tell that bright face away from a ripe tomato if she was asked.

"Stop talking like we are friends. A Tower scum like you would never be my friend. You've taken too many liberties with us and even enslaved our brothers-in-arm" the kid whisper-yelled. Aurora was not sure which one it was at least.

But those words sobered her mood up and also reminded her why she was here in the first place. The Rocx tragedy would soon follow. The abyss was ruthless and the tower followed its lead.

These people were not safe here.

"You're right. The tower has done enough harm to last us ages. It would continue to do so if we did not stop them. That is why I'm here as well. We are not your enemy if you don't want us as one. Except for the tower. It is the worst." Aurora stopped in front of the huge gate the kid had led her to.

She could barely feel it but there was no mistaking the aura on the other side of the gate. She did not need a verbal confirmation to be able to sense another goddess's powers.

[Alert. Powerful aura detected. The user is advised to practice caution]

Aurora almost jumped when the system spoke those words inside her head. She had forgotten that she had never turned it off after testing it out earlier.

"You might not be an enemy of ours but you have not proven to be an ally either. Until you do, I will hold you in the same regard." the kid replied. It was amazing to see the kid not back off when Aurora started him down.

And those golden eyes flashed with a power similar to the one Aurora was feeling behind the door. She could not help but reach out, wanting to know who the other goddess was. And that one second of connection was all it took to establish the connection with the original owner of those golden eyes.

Aurora broke the connection as soon as she felt the other take notice.

'This is bad. This is bad. I need to get things rolling before that goddess decides to check me out' Aurora cursed as she yanked the kid through the gates. It had only been a week and she had already messed up. She hoped that it would not affect the future events she had planned for.

"You! Stop right there" but Aurora did not stop. She just flashed the seal she had been given by her and dashed through the corridor.

The poor kid she was dragging behind could do nothing but follow with a confused face. His pleading looks were ignored by the others around them as he was dragged behind the final gate.

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The kid looked tense and not happy to be in the corridor. If anything, Aurora had a feeling that the kid would rather not be here. Even she did not like the invasive feeling she was having.

She had a plan but she was not sure how much she trusted herself to pull it off. She already had the goddess interested in her so maybe Aurora could make use of her before she had to face off against her.

Or if she was lucky, she could woo the goddess on her side. Having the goddess of victory on her side would be a gigantic boost to her forces.

But she had to force her focus on the central figure in the room, the only other person except for the pair who kneeled in front of them. The only one who could convey her words to the goddess for now.

Even though the man was kneeling, it was not a submissive position, but rather a dignified one with one's head held straight and proud. The aura of the Outlander's leader forced one to look them in the eye and show respect.

"Take a seat" the man pointed to the two pillows in front of him. Aurora got nothing from his emotions, nor did his body language give anything away. But Aurora had a feeling that she was being tested right now.

Had Aurora been a more prideful goddess, she might have smitten the man the very second he pointed toward the seats on the lower step. Even now, the part of Aurora that was the goddess wanted her to show the man why it was not a good idea to disrespect a goddess.

But Aurora held her anger in. It helped that the leader was drenched in Victory's aura thoroughly to the point even Aurora felt hesitant.

The same part of her that fumed at the disrespect also asked her to be careful in handling the other goddess. Even the kid at her side felt uncomfortable.

"I have been meaning to talk to you for a long time now. Is it safe to assume that you are not looking to take any action against the Abyss tower currently?" Aurora broke the ice first.

The man looked too relaxed and comfortable to breach the subject first and the lack of emotions flowing out of him made Aurora feel unsettled. What kind of creature did not feel anything?

"That is right. Our goddess doesn't feel a need to make the tower our enemy. We would rather live out our lives in peace" the man replied. The words sounded practiced as if they had been spoken too many times before.

Aurora felt the angry fan inside her but it felt muted. It took her a second to realize that it was not the anger that she was feeling, but rather the kids.

"You always say that but it's not doing us any favors. The abyss is killing more and more of us every time they come here. They are enslaving more and more people every day as well. Shouldn't we fight back?" The kid roared.

The leader took it all in stride as his golden eyes met Aurora. They had aged well with wisdom as well as challenges the other had faced. They made Aurora's experience feel inferior.

They also managed to subdue the kid but he did not look happy about it.

"You'll understand one day why we cannot oppose the abyss in our full capacity. They are too big and have too much backing" the leader replied. He was right in that regard.

"I agree. The Abyss Tower has too much power and backing and that is also why it cannot be allowed to remain unchecked for long. That is why I have a proposal for you" Aurora knew she had gained the leader's attention.

She could even feel the goddess of victory's presence strengthen as she proposed her idea. It was now or never.

"Proposal?" The leader asked. He seemed as if he was not interested but Aurora knew the truth. The man could lie but the magic surrounding him could not. There was one advantage Aurora had with her adult body – people did not dismiss her ideas outright.

"We don't need to start big and take out the Abyss Tower in one go. What I'm thinking of is to set up an academy to face off against the Abyss Tower. We should build up power slowly and lessen their influence first" Aurora's words were followed by silence.

The leader did not look impressed at her idea but he did not need to be. Aurora was not interested in him but in the goddess looking at her through his eyes.

As much as Aurora did not want to become the center of attention, it was important for her to become the goddess's focus.

"You're a fool. You're thinking of setting an academy against the tower? They will never let you. And why do you even need to drag us into this suicide attempt?" The kid finally broke, betraying his insecurities.

But Aurora did not pay him any attention. She had her attention focused on the leader in front of him. His aura flared and dimmed, clearly in a debate with the goddess. Finally, he decided to aim his attention back at Aurora with a tired sigh.

"What have you planned so far? If it sounds plausible, then we'll support you. Your words and your aura, both have piqued our goddess's interest" it sounded as if it pained the man to admit that much. Not that Aurora did nor understand why.

But as much as she understood and pitied these people, she was not nice enough to let this opportunity slip by.

"A week from now we'll have the permission to set up the academy base in the Rocx valley. We're thinking of building one in the central valley and would like your help in clearing and leveling the land. Also, your technology would come in handy. In return, we'll help you hide when the Abyss decides to come for you and even protect you. We'll have a legal right as your employee to interfere" Aurora pushed.

It was entirely possible that the abyss would have more support if that happened. They had major support in the upper lands but not all the support.

"As good as that proposal sounds, I can't see how you'll be able to achieve that. The council and the upper class would favor the abyss in a heartbeat" The kid interfered. He sounded against the idea but there was also excitement in his expression.

And Aurora felt a small grin greet her face as she turned to answer that question.

"They might have the public on their side now but that will not last forever. Let's just say that I have a few people on my joining list that could sway things in our favor" maybe it was her confidence, maybe her tone, but the pair did not question her further and the deal was done.

They would help each other out and set up the academy as soon as possible.

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"Hey, let me go. I'm not interested in whatever you guys are planning to do. Hey, watch where you are touching me" Aurora watched in amusement. Rita sounded annoyed but her expression was layered with laughter.

Being held captive without any malicious motive must be a first for the poor girl. Still, it was a new experience that would help her grow.

"Is she enjoying this? Why are all of you so weird? Is everyone in your academy going to be like that?" The kid asked. The kid looked interested in Rita's circumstances but chose to keep his distance.

Aurora could spot the longing in his eyes. From what she had observed so far, people were not too close or friendly with the golden-eyed kid. They were respectful but still chose to keep their distance.

He was similar to Rita in that way. Aurora could not help but feel that they would be great friends once they became acquainted.

"I'm back with your young master. Can you let my companion go now?" Aurora asked. As much as Rita was enjoying herself, things had to end.

The deadline for the academy's setup was creeping closer every second.

No one moved to follow Aurora's command. All eyes turned toward the golden-eyed youth at Aurora's side. Thankfully, he decided to be helpful and agree with Aurora.

"Let her go. They're not our enemies. The old man decided to form an alliance with them in opposing the Abyss Tower." The people around did not look impressed with those words. Rather, they looked like they did not believe in Aurora.

"Master Damian, are you sure about this? What if-" the kid stopped those words before they could be uttered.

"That's what the old man decided and what the goddess wishes for. We are not in any position to go against their wishes" the surrounding fell quiet at those words.

Aurora could summarise a few things. No one had any idea what to think about this emerging situation. While they all wanted to fight against the oppression of the Abyss Tower, no one was convinced that they could win.

Aurora chose to keep quiet. Speaking up right now would not help the situation turn a new leaf. The fear and uncertainty brewing in the air was choking as well. But only Aurora could feel it.

"It's all going to work out. Aurora is strong and we have a plan." Rita, bless her, broke the ice. That optimism was heartwarming and needed as well.

The situational shock had caused the onlooker's guard to weaken and Rita managed to escape their hold. She waddled toward Aurora's side and gently took her arm.

And she was not the only one who had awareness of the situation at hand. The golden eyes youth – Damian took charge of the situation.

"The alliance has already been decided upon. Nothing you say would change it. In a week, the academy project to oppose the Abyss Tower will start. Our job would be to lay down the foundation. It's our only chance to oppose the tower. So we'll take this chance" Damian was a strong speaker.

His voice did not crake. It did not show his inexperience.

It only made him shine brighter in front of his people. It was strong enough to make you forget that Damian's age was not even in double digits.

Aurora would have taken Damian for a confident young man at first glance. But she could feel his nervousness and hesitation. He was not as calm internally as he appeared to be.

"So, I see that you have it all handled here. It's time to take my leave now" Aurora nodded toward the young leader. The pinched expression on the kid's face tugged at Aurora's heart but she decided to be strong.

Rita's insisting hand on her arm helped Aurora keep grounded. It reminded her that she had things to do outside of the Rocx valley and she only had a week left with her.

"By the way, how are you going to get the paperwork passed within a week? Doesn't it take years to have it passed through the council?" Damian asked.

He was right. If Aurora had decided to set the academy up by normal means, it would have taken her year's worth of time.

"Let's just say that I have a few tricks up my sleeve. As soon as the permission is granted, I'll take my leave to finalize my staff. I'm hoping to recruit at least three more members in the initial raster" Aurora was certain about the first two. They would have no problem with her.

But her third choice was a bit of a toss-up. It could go either way and that worried her.

But before all that, she had to wait for the good news. The news about her request being accepted by the council.

………..

"Chairman, what are you looking at? Why don't you put it down and fight me? It's been a long time since we fought." Quince's blue eyes widened as he was tossed aside.

It was rare for him to see his father in a bad mood. But the current mood his father was in surpassed badly.

He looked pissed off and that did not sound fun.

"Those old geezers are trying to make fun of me. How dare they give the required permission to set up an academy against the Abyss Tower? Healthy competition? What kind of trickery is that?" The poor paper had holes in it due to the elder's tight grip.

Quince could tell that his father was trying to keep himself in check but the magic was leaking out of him like an uncontrolled fountain. It made Quince feel lightheaded with the overdosed exposure.

He did not want to think what this could be making the other people on the floor feel. His father was the most powerful person in the tower currently. Everyone else was out in the abyss.

No one would be able to stop him if he went on a rampage.

"Father, please calm down. Think of our people" Quince called. Things were spiraling out of control faster than he could keep track of.

He picked up the fallen paper his father had thrown away in a fit of rage. He felt curious to see what had enraged his father so much.

'The high council grants Lady Aurora the right to start up a Magic academy under sanctioned Law 14, section 2.

The first inspection would be carried out within two months and would be informed by a formal letter.

Approver – Minerva'

Quince could not help but gasp at the audacity. Abyss Tower's challengers were nothing new but he

could see what had enraged his father so much.

The sign at the end did not belong to a noble but a goddess. It was more than approval to set up the academy.

The goddess's approval made this new academy a threat. It was a huge deal and could not be allowed to be made public.

"Quince, we'll be delaying your group's Abyssal descent for now. You need to find out everything you can about this new academy. And find Rita as well. We can't lose the support of her mother now" Quince could do nothing but nod in agreement.

His father was in a mood. He would not listen to anyone but himself.

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The red bird flying over the Rocx valley was as obvious as dirt on white cloth. Anyone could tell that the delicate and beautiful bird did not belong in the valley.

And yet, no monster tried to attack the bird.

It looked as if the bird was being protected by a higher power. Even the monsters looking up toward the sky ignored the bird.

This was what the outlander's scout observed. He noticed the fast-flying bird heading their way and the monsters ignoring its presence.

"Boss, I think the Abyss Tower is out to scout the Rocx valley again. Their messenger bird is flying over the common valley" everyone in the common plaza tensed. They all had the same question on their mind – should they hide?

This was a random scout by the Abyss tower. One they happened out of the blue. Generally, the tower workers liked to stick to a schedule. It also made it easier for the outlanders to hideaway.

Personally, Damian knew that it was because the tower people did not think the outlanders were capable enough to hide. Being labeled as the 'barbarians highly skilled in machinery', the tower made minimum effort to engage them indirectly.

"Should we hide? You look pleased with the bird's arrival. Don't tell me that you are going to betray us now?" Domain looked at the pleased blue-haired female at his side.

"I'm not betraying you but I did expect this bird to come. That should be the written request for the academy. Don't worry, they are not expecting the bird back." the outlanders looked scared.

Aurora could feel their fear and the need to hide.

"Would it be better if I took this to someplace else?" Aurora asked, turning toward the female that had been detaining Rita.

Her partner was finally free but she was not out of capture radius. If the outlanders wanted, they could easily detain her back with some force.

"It would be much appreciated. Your partner would have to stay behind a little longer though" the guard replied back.

Had it not been for her empathy, Aurora was sure she would not have been able to read what the woman meant.

But she did and she nodded.

Aurora received the messenger bird on top of a hill a few minutes away from the Outlander's settlement. She raised her hand and allowed the bird to land on it.

The pretty red bird erupted in a sea of flames but they did not burn Aurora's hand. The flames were a special kind of blend only used by the Abyss tower and they never dimmed.

But it was only now that Aurora could feel why that happened. These flames were not ordinary.

They were a goddess's flames. But Aurora had no idea which one.

"Let's see. So, the one to approve our grant was Minerva." Aurora knew that the Abyss Tower was affiliated with gods and goddesses.

Rather, it was better to say that the main force governing the Abyss tower was a group of gods and goddesses. That was what gave the Abyss Tower so much sway.

"How did the resistance manage to get her to agree?" Aurora questioned as she folded the paper.

She did not care how Rex managed to get her this permit, just that he did. And that meant the world to her. She could finally start the main phase of her plan.

Her happiness was unbound when she returned to the outlander's base. Damian's disgusted look was a clear indicator of what he felt.

"Stop that. You are looking far too flowery." Damian inched away from her as she approached the kid but Aurora did not care.

She changed her direction at the last second toward Rita and threw her arm around the younger's shoulder.

Aurora could tell that her action had spooked Rita but she did not care.

"We got the permit for the academy. I'll be in your care from next week" it was awkward to bow down while still being attached to Rita's shoulder. But it was comfortable and Aurora did not want to change spots.

"Good. You will finally get out of our hair now" Domain hissed back but Aurora felt his satisfaction.

It was really easy to forget that the kid was only nine years old. The way he spoke made him sound so much older.

"Sure kid. You will get rid of me for a week. But do consider joining the academy once it's open. You'll see a new world there" the kid did not believe her but Aurora knew she had time to convince him.

"So, are we leaving now? Where are we going?" Rita asked. She sounded excited at the prospect of traveling and Aurora flashed her a wide grin.

She had her next destination in mind already. She knew it might be too early for Rita to head into the Abyss but Aurora's first choice for alchemy instructor lived in the abyss.

"To the Abyss. You'll finally get to see your first glimpse of the hell-hole" Aurora was sure her grin had a sinister tint to it.

"The Abyss? Isn't it too dangerous?" Rita asked. It was cute how she was trying to be brave, but Aurora could feel her uncertainty.

Even Damian looked intrigued but disturbed. Abyss was a forbidden fruit that gripped everyone's interest but it also burned.

"Yes. Abyss is dangerous. But you will come along with me anyway, won't you Rita?" Rita looked mesmerized. Aurora felt like Rita would do anything she asked at this moment.

Aurora turned toward Damina next, her serious look turning mischievous.

"Damina, you want to come along?" Aurora was joking but the resounding 'No' that echoed in the valley made her chuckle.

"Master Damian, don't even think about it. You are too young and there is the danger of the Abyss Tower. You can't abandon us here. You also need to train with master and-" the more complaints that came from the outlanders, the sulkier Damian got.

The atmosphere had lightened enough to make Aurora let out a chuckle. The pleading look Damina aimed her way was golden and Aurora could not help tease back.

"Sorry kid. Once you are a teen you can try to dig deeper into the abyss. But focus on getting stronger till them." It was not a promise but Aurora had a feeling that Damian took it as a promise anyway.

"Tomorrow we leave for the abyss. We won't venture deep but it will be tough. Prepare yourself Rita" Rita gulped. She was nervous for sure but Aurora knew she would get over it.

She would have to. The Abyss was in her blood anyway.

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"It looks like it's going to rain. You should wait for the rain to slow down first." The outlander suggested as she walked them to the valley's end. Aurora sneaked a look down and eyes the fissure.

The fissure was their entrance to the Abyss.

Since the Abyss was a gigantic entity, it had many available entries. Any place that broke the surface of a settlement could be used as an entry to the abyss.

Most entries were locked. The more vicious ones were regulated by the tower. It left only so many non-hostile entries for Aurora to exploit.

As far as Aurora could remember, the fissure in the Rocx valley was a safe entry but not regulated by the tower.

"The rain won't be an issue down there. We'll be alright as long as it doesn't rain in the abyss." Aurora assured.

Rita looked uncertain but determined as she followed after her. The fissure only had a small opening that allowed one entry and Aurora decided to take the lead.

"Rita, keep your guard up at all times. I'll brief you about the abyss once we're in there." It would be better to brief Rita outside but it would increase their chances of getting caught.

Aurora had warned the outlanders to hide and keep their heads low for one day. The Abyss knew where Aurora was and they would scout her position out.

Thankfully, Aurora had anticipated this situation and prepared a suitable aid. Her magic doll would fool the tower's watch birds. Ordinary people did not know, but the watch birds looked for magic signatures instead of facial recognition.

"We'll start the work on the Academy's infrastructure as soon as your puppet leaves the valley. You can count on us" Aurora nodded her head in thanks.

And then the pair entered the Abyss. There was no fanfare and no cracking noise.

There was no magic or tragedy. Just a simple jump and they were both in.

"Did the entrance disappoint you, Rita? You don't look happy." Aurora turned into her companion. The poor girl looked like she had swallowed lemons.

"I-no. It is nothing like that. It's just, that the air inside here feels heavier." Rita complained. Aurora paused, thinking back to her first abyss entrance.

She remembered her group finding it difficult to breathe in the heavier air. They had made a lot of mistakes and not rationed their supplies properly. They even lacked survival experience.

In the end, Clove had dragged them back to the surface and they had to train again.

"Environmental conditions that exist in the abyss are different from the surface. It can change every few kilometres in extreme ways due to the underground volcanoes. The deeper you head, the more volatile you'll find the abyss to be." Aurora explained.

"Don't worry. They won't explode this early in the abyss. The first few floors are relatively safe from extreme natural disasters" Aurora assured.

She pushed Rita to her side quickly. Rita was lucky since Aurora's action protected her from a blast of toxic gas.

Rita's unamused face looked back at Aurora.

"I said relatively safe, not harmless. Just stay with me and you'll be alright." Aurora assured, taking Rita's hand in her own.

Abyss could be overwhelming for the first-timers.

"How deep are we going this time?" Rita asked. Now that the danger has passed away, Rita's curiousness made itself known. It was only Aurora's hand that stopped Rita from bouncing all over the place.

"Luckily, our target is on the base floor so we won't need to travel down. The only known transaction gate is guarded by the tower" the information was nothing new.

The abyss seemed to be based on a gaming tower. The floors were connected to each other by teleportation gates. If you wanted to progress, you needed to defeat the boss and open the gate.

Currently, only the first 20 floors were cleared by the abyss and no one knew how many more there were.

Not even the goddesses. Aurora had made it to the 'assumed' bottom floor. She had gained ultimate power on the hidden floor after Aurora managed to reach the 50th one.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all." Rita beamed at her. Aurora gave a scuffed smile as she prayed for the younger. This trip was going to change Rita a lot.

Aurora decided not to answer.

She did not have any hope for an easy adventure. Even if this was the first floor, the monsters here were not easy for first-timers to clear.

"Let's head to the supply shop first. We will need some basic gear for you. You are already struggling to breathe properly." Rita opened her mouth to reject Aurora's idea but broke out in a coughing fit.

She lasted longer than Aurora had expected of her.

"N-No, I'm alright. We risk the chance of running into the Tower's team if we do that. Aren't we avoiding them?" Rita questions.

Aurora shook her head.

"The only people who visit the beginner's shop on the first floor are the first-timers. I doubt anyone would recognize us there. Also, you will permanently damage your lungs if you keep on inhaling these fumes." Aurora replied.

Rita still wanted to protest but she no longer had a ground. Aurora was surprised at her own situation. Since she had travelled back in time, she expected her body to suffer from the abyss.

But she had no problem breathing in the toxic air. Not did she feel the forbidden feeling the abyss gave off.

Instead, it felt like it was welcoming her back. She could spot smaller creatures running out of her way with fear. Being a goddess had changed something inside her.

"O-Oh. Is that so? Then, I guess I'm lucky to have you with me for my first time here." Rita's words sounded too sincere. They made Aurora's inside itch at the tone.

She was not sure someone had ever believed in her so hard.

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me. But I do appreciate the vote of confidence. And maybe, just maybe, I will allow you to train under my supervision." Aurora teased back.

The abyss had never been a happy place for her, but she was beginning to appreciate not being alone here.

And Rita's mock-offended sound just amused Aurora even more.

Even the sight of the Tower-infested mob in the distance did not dampen Aurora's mood in the slightest. She quickly made her way toward the shop with Rita following behind closely.

It felt good to be back in the Abyss again.

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Aurora corrected Rita's path for the third time by placing her hand on the younger's back. She was sure Rita was not clumsy enough to barge into everyone she came across.

"Rita, behave. And don't fight with the shopkeeper. Her attitude can be a bit 'questionable' for her profession, but don't mind it." Aurora advised Rita.

Aurora eyes a dejected first-time adventurer walking away from the shop with almost tears in his eyes and she felt bad for him. Those shopkeepers were ruthless in words and actions.

She shivered as her eyes met the shopkeeper's cold ones. They belonged to a mercenary more than they did to a shopkeeper.

"What's your deal? Hurry, we don't have the whole day with us." If the eyes were cold, the voices were deadly. It was easy to see why the kid before had almost cried.

"Here to buy first-time supplies for her. We have the money" Aurora upper her charm. She had experience dealing with the Tower shopkeepers.

They would only respect you if you seemed important enough. Not appearing nervous was the first step.

"Of course you have money. Would a moneyless person come to a shop and waste their time? Now give me a list and I'll get the things for you." Aurora handed the list over.

She had already made the list beforehand, knowing that it would smooth things over for her. The shopkeeper took the list with a raised eyebrow, her eyes gleaming in recognition.

Only a high-level Abyss worker knew to prepare a list of needed items they would need on lower floors.

"Here you go. Being rich must be nice. Though, I don't know why you decided to buy from us." The shopkeeper handed Aurora the bag of supplies.

Of course, the rate of such goods decreased the deeper you headed into the abyss. The starter kit was practically a free item after floor 5.

"Thanks." Aurora decided not to engage the shopkeepers in a conversation. As good as a gossip source they were, Aurora did not want them to have an impression of her any more than they already did.

"Here. Check the material and hold on to it tightly." Aurora pushed the bag into Rita's eager hands.

Rita looked excited to have the bag but her excitement dimmed as soon as she picked out the clothes from the bag.

"It's just an old cloak and some common items. And here I thought this starter kit was really special" Rita sounded disappointed. It often happened to first-time adventurers.

They made a mountain out of a molehill and got excited about anything.

"Well, this is the first floor after all. And all those items are important to have until you learn to navigate the Abyss properly." Aurora was gentle in her scolding.

A shadow dashed through the periphery of her vision and Aurora knew their bag was about to be stolen.

She did debate about warning Rita but stopped at the last second. Rita needed to learn to be vigilant in the Abyss. Even the humans could turn out to be enemies here.

"Still, can't they include a lacrima or even magic stone in this kit? What if we ran out of magic? And – hey! Give it back here." The thief snooped and took off with the bag.

Aurora managed to tag them with a mark at the last second before she lost sight of the person.

"-can't believe the audacity of that thief. Did you see that, Aurora? Someone stole our stuff." Rita was angry.

"I saw them coming from a mile away. You need to train your situational awareness more before you are ready for the lower floors." Aurora explained.

Rita looked even more downhearted than before. The lack of awareness and the loss of items was going to cost them crucial time. But Aurora was willing to take this trade. It would help Rita out in the future.

And if Aurora took this opportunity to help Rita learn to navigate the Abyss, no one needed to know about it.

"You could have told me that. I could have stopped them. Now, what should we do? I don't want to waste funds by rebuying our stuff." Rita complained.

Aurora tapped her wrist that held the metallic band of the system. Having a physical tie made it easier to be able to use the system.

The current exercise had two purposes – to help train Rita and to find out how well the system held on to in the abyss.

"I placed a tracker inside our stuff before the thief took it. You can access it using the system mainframe. It will teach how to use tracking magic. I would expect you to mark your stuff from now on and keep an eye on it." Aurora commented.

Rita opened her system panel with doubt-filled eyes. But the bright red spot that indicated their target was visible on the screen.

The only problem with the system's current map was its lack of detail. It did not show any distinction between mountain or valley. In other words, you could not rely on it forever.

"Nice. So, how do you use it?" Rita asked.

Aurora shook her head at the teen's actions but did help her out. Since she had programmed the system, she had a vague idea about its usage.

With the help of the system and Aurora's experience, the pair tracked their mark down. Or, they tried to but hit a dead end pretty soon.

Their path led them toward a small cave with no exit. But the mark was still shining brightly on top of them.

To find out the location of their mark was not a problem for Aurora. She had marked the thief with her personal mark which indicated his location to her at all times.

Rita would have the real problem since she lacked the mark. She also did not have experience with the abyss to make an accurate guess.

"I hate it here. Why is the mark blinking this brightly? It cannot be a hidden passage since the location indicated is right on top of us." Rita complained but Aurora did not help her.

Rita needed to figure it out on her own. There will be many similar situations in the future.

"Man, where did the thief disappear? It couldn't have been down, but I cannot see it being up either. I give up." Rita complained and Aurora finally felt like it was time to step in.

"Just because the Abyss heads deeper and deeper doesn't mean the floors are aligned linearly with each other. This cave's location may also be part of the first floor." Aurora informed.

Recognition flashed across Rita's features before she fanned her hands.

The next thing Aurora knew, she was falling down as the cave floor broke into pieces.

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Aurora felt only a sliver of surprise as the ground broke before she twisted her body and landed on her feet.

Rita landed a few steps beside her on her familiar. The huge cat disappeared as soon as Rita's feet touched the ground.

It took only one second for the pair to realize that they had landed in the middle of a gathering.

To be more precise – a thief's gathering.

"Looks like you were right. There is an underground passage here. Now, let's get our stuff back." Rita made a punching motion. Her expression looked ready to fight.

Aurora quickly scanned their opposition and decided to let Rita handle this fight. Aurora would butt in if Rita needed her help.

Not that she would. Rita was overqualified for the first few floors of the abyss. She just lacked experience. Besides, Aurora spotted a familiar face standing at the back of the opposite group.

She wanted to talk with that person.

Rita's summons was a sight to behold and made quick work for the group around them. They were rough with the opponents and made Aurora feel sorry for them.

"You're not going to save your members? They will not be able to handle Rita alone." Aurora questioned the masked woman once she reached the end wall.

The mysterious woman had not moved an inch ever since Aurora had landed down here. The masked woman did not even look surprised to see the ceiling crash.

"They are fools if they cannot see how outmatched they are. Why should I waste my time on them? Besides, that idiot would arrive here soon enough." That voice was the last nail in the coffin.

Thieves guild was a special organization (in other words – unrecognized but needed) that would steal anything for the right price.

People respected the thief guild. But only a few knew that the real workforce had been assembled by Sara.

As of now, the thief's guild had yet to establish its reputation. But Aurora knew it would not be long before their name would spread far and wide.

Aurora did not doubt that this was Sara. Unlike Michelle the witch, Sara was a name only known by seldom. But in the future, those who employed her service were never left hanging. She was the second-in-command of the thieve's guild in the Abyss tower.

But in terms of fame, her leader certainly had her best.

"Hey, hey, hey. What is going on here? What's wrong with you? Beating up people for no reason. Are you itching for a fight with me?" The loud voice echoed in the cave.

Sara's 'Oh God. He's here already' betrayed her annoyance. Aurora understood the reason behind Sara's

"No reason? You guys decided to steal my stuff. And now you pretend like you don't have an idea about it? Just who do you think you are?" Rita replied with just as much sass.

It was unfortunate for everyone that those two had butting personalities. Aurora had no idea where things had gone so wrong for Aurora to turn this way.

"Oh, come on. It's just a small bag. I'm sure you can afford another one. Our new members need this more than you." The leader replied in a careless tone. Even his body language was relaxed.

Rita must be seething. It was only a miracle that she had not attacked the leader yet.

But she was also outmatched by the leader's skill. Rita's magic might have been as strong as the leader's, but the stronger didn't always win in the Abyss.

It all came down to experience in such fights.

"Boss Bill, don't start here. Don't forget that we are currently in hiding. Fighting now would attract the tower goons. Well, more than we have already, that is." Sara warned.

Rita broke out in laughter at the scolding.

"B-Bill? You are such a big-looking guy and your name is Bill? You lost all the intimidation points at the name." Rita teased.

Aurora wanted to stop her. Rita should not anger people she could not handle but the boss was already angry anyway.

"Stop making fun of my name. I won't tolerate this any longer. If the Tower wants to start something with me, they are more than welcome to do so. Let me show you tower scum why I am feared so much." The buffed man yelled.

The voice caused a spark of pain to attack Aurora's head along with the overwhelming passion.

"Boss Bill, do not cause more problems for us," Sara warned. But the big man-child was beyond the point of listening to her.

Aurora felt the feeling of danger rise in the air. The buff man had a weapon that gave off a mean aura.

Rita was too relaxed and Aurora could feel her intention of tanking the hit with her familiar and then summon another to attack from behind.

Unluckily for her, she did not have a familiar strong enough to tank the hit. And that was the point Aurora decided to interfere.

Since Aurora decided to stop hiding without any preparation, she wasn't able to control her speed. She managed to make it between Rita and the boss before holding her hand out.

The boss's ax collided with Aurora's shield. Similar powers resonated and the explosion caused the nearby walls to cave in.

Aurora barely managed to push the thief boss back before straightening herself.

"I apologize for my subordinate's big mouth. It was not our intention to offend you. Truth to be told, we cannot go back to buy another beginner's exploration package because we are trying to avoid the tower as well." Aurora explained.

It felt wrong to bow her head in front of these people but Aurora wanted to convey her sincerity.

"Wow. You managed to stop my attack? There is no way such might can belong to the tower cowards. You must be telling the truth." Bill exclaimed, almost looking happy.

Aurora spotted face-palming from the corner of her eyes and felt sympathetic. It was not fun to deal with idiotic subordinates.

"Boss, just because someone managed to stop your attack doesn't make them a decent person. It just means that you lacked power in your attack." Sara added.

At this point, the female had pushed herself off the wall and decided to walk over to the group.

"I know, I know. But I can just feel that this new girl is a decent person. Don't know about the younger one thought. She did attack us unprovoked." Bill exclaimed and Aurora felt tired of his unbounded enthusiasm.

And she was not the only one to feel this way. Sara looked like she wanted to kill her boss.

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Sara and Boss Bill seemed divided on their opinions. The glaring match seemed to be intensifying.

But it did look like Sara had the lead in that match-up. Her glare looked like it wanted to burn Bill apart.

"D-Don't give me that look. I am the boss and what I say is what we will do. And my gut says to trust the young miss here." Bill forced those words out.

His nervousness grew the more he was glared at by Sara.

"You say that now boss. But you do remember what happened the last time you had a 'feeling' about something?" Sara asked. It looked like there was a history behind that look.

"I know. But that was last time. This time would be different. And they even say that they are not with the tower. Would a tower elite really say those words? Give me some credit here." Bill asked as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

Aurora watched the scene fold out in amusement.

She had heard about Sara in the future but had never dealt with herself. Rumors had painted her out to be a fair but battle-hardened lady.

Aurora could already see the shadows of her future reputation in her current self.

"No, they would not. But you should still use your head a little more. Also, we should return the stolen goods to these people if we want to make a good first impression on them." Sara pointed out.

Bill's face bounced back from the nervous laughter to a determined expression. He quickly picked up the stolen bag Rita had been reaching for and threw it toward their youngest.

"Here. Sorry for the trouble. But it is your fault that your stuff got stolen in the first place. You should better take care of it." Bill's words caused Rita's anger to come back.

But Aurora stopped her before she could destroy their temporary truce.

"We know. Rita is still in training. I will be sure to teach our next batch better." Aurora assured. She wanted to bow but her body would not allow it. And neither did the 'goddess' part.

It snarled at her to not explain her actions to those below her in status.

"Next batch? Ah, you must be from one of the three new approved academies. Be careful not to be crushed by the tower." Sara warned.

Her words surprised Aurora. She had not known that there had been two other academy setting requests that were approved along with her.

But it should not have been that surprising since most ambitious people did try to make one before realizing that they could not rival the tower.

In the end, they ended up merging with the tower and training people under their name.

"Don't worry. We are not fragile enough to be crushed. Be sure to visit us in the Rocx valley if you have some time." Aurora spoke those last words as she messaged Rita to prepare a summon for them to leave.

The thief's boss and his second-in-command looked shocked at her words and that gave them enough time to leave.

Rita had picked up their supplies and she summons looked ready to take them out.

Aurora could have left the hole under her own power but Rita's huge summon made her look better.

"Was it wise to tell the academy's location to them? Won't it allow the tower to track us down?" Rita asked. She sounded worried which made Aurora chuckle.

"Once we pass the first inspection, the high council will announce our location to the world anyway. There is no point in keeping quiet. Besides, it is better to have allies in our situation." Aurora explained.

The bird broke through the hold but there was not enough room in the cave for the creature to be able to fly freely. The ceiling was too low for its wings to flap comfortably.

Aurora picked Rita up by the waist and jumped down the huge summons. The sudden moment caused Rita to lose concentration and dismiss her summon.

"Once we return to the surface, we will focus on your conditional control and not lose focus even when something surprises you. You are too easily distracted." Aurora scolded.

Her words did not have any heat since she did not want to scare Rita.

"Sorry. And for that matter, I could have taken that Bill guy if he did not have his ax. That thing felt wicked and magical." Rita complained.

But the teen in her arms was also feeling guilty at her scolding. This confrontation must have made her realize just how much more there was to this abyss.

"Ax or not, he was more powerful than you. Do not engage with such people unless you know you have a way out." Aurora scolded with finality. She let the teen on her shoulder down and opened her map.

It had improved a lot but it still did not show any significant detail.

"I understand so you can stop nagging now. Even my caretakers never nagged this much at me." Rita sounded annoyed and pleased at Aurora's treatment.

Aurora was about to reply before she felt someone head her way.

She quickly pulled Rita toward her and behind a small boulder. She had a feeling she should not be seen here.

"-believe the audacity? They say it's the same chick who disrespected the headmaster of the tower. She sure got guts. Quince said that his father was angry and wanted to retaliate against the new academy." Aurora did not recognize the new group but she could tell that they were from the tower.

And their ease of moment also told Aurora that they were not first-timers in the abyss. They moved like professionals and knew how to carry themselves.

"Who cares about this any longer? If the leader has his eyes on the new academy, it had no chance of success. Lady Minerva or not, it'll not last more than a few months." the second person in that group spoke.

Aurora was sure that they were talking about her academy now.

"Oi. A few months is giving them a lot of credit. I bet that the leader would not let them go past the first observation scale. Isn't that why he asked us to capture a beast from lvl 10? He wanted to release it in the Rocx valley and blame it on the outlanders." the first person spoke.

Aurora slapped her hand on top of Rita's mouth to keep her quiet. This was crucial information and would come in handy to know.

She only lifted her hand off Rita's mouth once the tower group was gone.

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Read Abyss of Dual Cultivation: Goddess's Lust system Chapter 31 online for free - AllNovelFull

The tower group had given Aurora enough fodder to chew. But it did make sense in the general timeline of things.

This could be the tower's initial step in retaliation against the outlanders. It was a little early in the time frame but not unacceptable development.

"We need to head back and warn Damian's clan. They will become targeted because of us." Rita sounded shocked.

Treachery like this was nothing new in their world. Getting caught up in the middle of a revenge plot was a common occurrence in their world.

Even so, the tower's audacity left a bitter taste in Aurora's mouth. Especially since she knew she could not leave the tower for some time.

"I agree. The outlanders need to know about this potential danger in case we do not make it out in time. I will send them a message as soon as I get my hands on the appropriate supplies." Aurora assured Rita.

The communication supplied did exist in the starter pack Aurora had bought but they were only good enough to work inside the abyss.

Besides, these supplies had the tower's mark placed all over them. Their messenger will be shot down before it would reach the outlanders.

"Huh? Make it out in time? Why won't we make it out in time if we leave now? The abyss tower is capable of subduing strong creatures but it's not that strong. At least, that group did not look that strong." Rita asked.

"We're not leaving the abyss. We'll secure the person we came here for and then leave this place." Aurora's tone was final.

The disbelief oozing out of Rita was dense. It had anger mixed in it as well.

And Aurora knew the outburst would come any second now.

"Huh? We're not leaving the abyss? But why?" Rita questioned.

"Currently, we offer no advantage to the outlanders. Even if we leave the abyss now, you are no match for the beast and I will not risk the academy before it is set up. The best we can do is to find our teacher and complete our required staff of three." Aurora explained.

Three qualified teachers were the minimum criterion for the academy. Among that, a medic was necessary.

Aurora had the medic role fulfilled with Free. The Succubus would be able to get her hand on a fake identification paper for herself.

The second person would be Rex. Despite his reluctance and his 'questionable' habits, his background was nothing to be laughed at. He did not even need to be an active teacher to be counted by the instructors.

And the third was this person Aurora was tracking. Magic was an onboard ability while alchemy was a learned one.

And Aurora knew there was no one better to teach it than the 'grandmaster' herself. To the tower, she was a miracle. She was a hermit with a curse to live forever.

Or, that was the lie the abyss tower had fed the people.

In reality, the grandmaster had been an experiment of theirs. She had been created to further the Tower's research about the abyss. They had used the monster's genes along with the god's magic.

Things had not meshed up well. The resulting person had a half-human appearance but none of their limitations. The creature was as close to god but not accepted by either side.

"Must be someone really epic for you to go out of your way like this," Rita replied.

"She is. Astoria is someone you can ask anything and expect to get an answer. Her long life has given her much wisdom." Aurora explained.

She might have exaggerated a few things in her praise, but she did mean it overall. Astoria was someone they needed on their side.

"That's great and all. But would someone like that even join us? Won't the abyss offer her a better deal? And what is she doing in the abyss anyway?" Rita asked.

"Most people have their reasons. Don't ask this question to her right away. Not everyone likes when others butt in their business." Aurora's tone had just a hint of scolding.

Rita raised her hands in 'mock surrender,' but the message had gone through to her.

Aurora led them further into the depth. It was a path she vaguely remembered but she did not know the right direction.

It was not till she was the first sign of floral life that she allowed herself to relax. The tree might not look anything like she had seen before but it certainly was a tree.

The tree trail led to a small clearing in the abyss. A huge hole opened up to the sky and facilitated the clearing with clear sunlight.

"Wow. I never thought such a place could exist in the abyss. It looks just like the upper surface. How is this even possible?" Rita questioned.

The answer was the female looking after her fields. Soft white hair trailed after the average heightened adult female.

The hunched back might even give one an impression of her being ab old lady, but Aurora knew better.

She had heard about the lady in white but this was her first time seeing Astoria in person. And Aurora had to say, the aura was certainly incredible enough to be felt from this far away.

"Look. Is that lady down there Astoria? But you said she was old. She looks like she's in her twenties." Rita pointed out. Again, she was not wrong since Astoria did look like a young adult.

"Looks can be deceiving. Let's introduce ourselves." Aurora suggested. The gentle lady down below tended to her plants.

Aurora picked herself to scale down the clearing but then she saw it.

The shadow was moving swiftly in the forest nearby her. Rita seemed not to have noticed it yet but they had company.

Aurora had a bad feeling about this and she quickly looked down. Astoria was nowhere to be seen.

The shadow was also quickly gaining ground on them. Aurora could feel the life force of the massive beast heading toward them.

But the creature was not aiming for her. It was aiming for Rita.

"Rita, block," Aurora called out as the shadow attacked Rita's unprotected back.

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"Rita, block," Aurora called out. She was not aware she had gained some distance between herself and Rita. It was just enough for her not to be able to make it back to Rita's side in time for the attack.

Thankfully, Rita managed to block the attack on her own. Her knife collided with the claws heading her way and halted a fatal blow to her head.

Aurora heaved a sigh of relief before she had her spear aimed at the head in front of her.

The white obstructed her sight as tree branches began to sprout between her and the new creature.

Not only that, but the ground had white plants sprouting all over. They moved as if they were alive.

If Aurora moved right, they moved right. If she moved left, they moved left. They observed her decide what they wanted to do next.

"What is up with these plants? They behave like they are alive. I don't like them." Rita sounded annoyed.

The plants were not doing themselves any favor in her book by holding her in one place. The more she slashed, the denser they became.

"I won't say that if I were you. You might hurt their feeling." the voice barely gave time to register itself before the tree branches began moving again.

Aurora did not have enough trouble fighting off the weak attack. The branches were not hurting her, but testing her.

They also seemed to recoil when she let her aura out. Her goddess charm must be confusing them.

Rita seemed to be having a bit of a tough time on her side. Her fighting style was the tower taught and it seemed to be aggravating the branches.

They were not leaving her with enough time to perform her summons.

Aurora had two options. Either to help Rita out or to stop Astoria. She had caught a glimpse of the white hair from when she had been fighting.

Her brain had instantly connected the dots and recognized the danger. They were being thought of as intruders.

Maybe even from the tower.

"Rita, can you handle yourself for a little longer?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, sure," Rita replied as she fended off another branch.

Aurora snapped her wrist as she felt her magic build up. The small orb she had created barely held any magic.

It was an experiment to see how well her magic would hold against another goddess.

Aurora did not have a good grasp over her goddess magic. She was limited in what she could do for now.

Astoria did not have a lot of her limitations. Being a bi-produce of an experiment, she did have the goddess's magic. But only to an extent.

Astoria could not access all of Minerva's powers. And that was why Aurora decided to take the risk.

The instant her magic collided with Astoria, Aurora knew she had the elder's attention. The clash of god's magic held a different spark than a normal magical collision.

"You are a goddess? But you were never in the tower? Then how?" Astoria sounded confused.

Aurora closed the distance between their faces, her lips almost touching the elder.

"I'm a recent addition. The Tower is not aware of my existence yet. And I prefer to keep it that way. I would appreciate it if you did not advertise my status this soon." Aurora whispered.

Astoria took a step back as her concentration broke. The magic lost control and the white branches fell to the ground.

It must have been unnerving to have someone's breath fan across your face. That must be the reason Astoria had turned tomato red and her knees seemed to have become unsteady.

"But how? And why? Didn't the council rule that they did not need any more gods or goddesses?" Astoria sounded confused.

"They might have. But those fools forgot that they can't control the abyss. It does what it wants." Aurora explained before Rita reached them.

Her face must have shown her unwillingness to keep the talk going in someone else's company because Astoria dropped the topic as soon as Rita neared them.

"Man, those plants were sure something. Why did you even attack us in the first place?" Rita complained.

"My apologies. I thought you were a tower scum and had come to cause trouble. Since that is not the case, I will be taking my leave now." Astoria did not even sound embarrassed at the misunderstanding.

However, the words had the opposite effect on Rita. Instead of calming her down, they seemed to have irritated her.

"Why does everyone keep on mistaking us as the tower's people? Is it the vibe? Our mannerism? The way we speak?" Rita questioned.

Rita had developed real hate for the Abyss tower in a short while. They had not given her any reason to like them either.

"It is easy to get mistaken for the tower since their influence is every field. We are not doing ourselves any favor by carrying around their stuff." Aurora reminded.

Astoria looked amused at Rita's over-the-top expression and comical rage. The mood had considerably lightened and Aurora felt safe to breach the heavier topic.

"Actually, there was a reason I came here today. There was something I needed to ask of you, Lady Astoria. Won't you hear me out?" Aurora asked.

Her polite and formal tone must have caught Astoria off-guard. Astoria's expression was a mask, but Aurora could feel her curiosity.

Rita had stopped her self-speaking as well.

"Very well. Let us head back to my home and discuss it there. The forest has too many ears out for me." Astoria gestured to the small home in her clearing and Aurora nodded.

Aurora could not feel the presence of anyone in the forest but it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

Besides, she also needed to find supplies to be able to send a message out of the Tower and Astoria was someone likely enough to keep those supplied with her.

"Lead the way," Aurora replied but Astoria was already leading them down the gentle slope. There were other shadows in the forest but they did not feel alive to Aurora.

She watched Astoria wave those shadows off and they finally reached the clearing. The sun was visible in the cut-out and it shined brightly in the sky.

"So, let's hear what you have to say," Astoria asked and Aurora opened her mouth to propose her plan. Astoria's eyes widened in surprise just a bit before they closed off.

And then she gave her reply to the pair.

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Rita was not sulking. She would deny it if Aurora pointed out that she was sulking. She was just disappointed at the outcome of their discussion with Astoria.

"Stop sulking. Astoria did not say no to our request. She just asked for some time before deciding on this topic." Aurora remembered.

She was not worried about Astoria taking her time before deciding on her offer.

Astoria had been conditioned to follow the Tower's orders all her life. Going against that conditioning would take time.

"But still. She should have gone with better words. I don't think her 'No. I can't join you for some time' meant the same thing as 'I'll think about it.'" Rita did have a point.

But Aurora knew what she had felt from Astoria. The female was interested but there might be something she needed to resolve first.

"She'll join us for sure. But for now, we should focus on you. Since we're here, you should take the opportunity to battle some of these monsters." Aurora points out.

The smaller monsters were docile and won't be a problem. But there were a few exceptions on the first floor that could prove to be a challenge.

Aurora watched Rita work around the larger opponents. Her summons made quick work of the mindless beasts in front of her.

"She's better than I expected. Her one stats are not great but her summons makes up for it." Aurora observed. Since Rita was holding up better than expected, it was time to move her plan to the next level.

"Rita, come back. We'll be trying something more challenging for you next." Aurora gestured to her side.

Her voice caused Rita to turn around and lose concentration. The summoned familiar looked confused at the abrupt magic cut-off and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The surviving monsters did not have this problem. They attacked Rita's defenseless form. Rita appeared to be an easier target without her familiars by her side.

But Rita had learned in a short amount of time. Her moment was better than before and her agility helped her dodge the slow monsters.

"Sure. Give me a second and I'll be with you shortly." Rita replied. Aurora watched her take care of the larger enemies without her familiars.

Aurora had finished writing her letter to the outlanders in the meantime. She allowed the blue messenger bird to fly away. It would find an opening to reach the surface soon enough.

"So, what's the plan now? These monsters just look tough but are really easy to take care of." Rita bragged.

Aurora did not burst her bubble by telling her that giant monsters were some of the weakest in the abyss.

Instead, she opened the system archive she had been working on. There were ancient goods available on every abyss floor. It was a matter of finding them.

And the first floor held a golden apple for Rita.

"Rita, most of your magical familiars are Tower gifted, right? You will lose access to them once the tower realizes you are with me. We will need to get you more familiars." Aurora pointed out.

Rita looked uncomfortable at her words but she did not deny them. The tower was ruthless in allowing anyone possession of their tools.

"I know. Do you have any idea for my potential familiars?" Rita asked. She did not sound disappointed at the loss of her life-long familiars.

Then again, most of her familiars were mindless puppets that followed her command. There was not much room for bonding.

And those familiars were also weak. They would not be able to keep up with the tower's dangers once they crossed the fifth floor.

"Every floor of the tower has at least one hidden treasure room. Anyone who passes this trial is awarded a special reward. Would you like to guess the trail for the first floor?" Aurora asked.

Rita's face lit up. But Aurora could feel worry mixed in with that hope.

"Are you sure that is a good idea? If this is such an important treasure, won't the abyss be guarding it heavily?" Rita asked. She was right to worry as well.

Rita did have a point. The Tower would not leave such a crucial resource unguarded.

"Don't worry about it. I have a plan. But I won't be able to go in with you. Do you still want to try?" Rita looked conflicted.

Aurora did not doubt the red-head. The red-head had passed the trail in Aurora's past timeline around this time as well. The familiarity she had gotten was a crucial one for Rita's development.

But Aurora decided not to tell all that to Rita. She needed Rita to come to terms with her strength on her own.

"Alright. Let's do this." it did not take long for Rita to come to that conclusion.

And finally, things were starting to move. Aurora had a plan to execute and powers to gather.

The trail room had a huge crowd outside it. Unlike the more difficult floors, the first one did not ask for you to register yourself before taking the trail.

There were too many people to keep track of and too much formality to look through. The guards were lax and allowed most people in without looking.

"Go. I will make sure that you are not questioned at the gate." Aurora assured her before she gave Rita a shove in the trail's direction.

Aurora could see a guard notice them. He had a photo in his hand and Aurora knew he had recognized Rita.

But before he could reach her, Aurora blocked his way.

"Let me through. I need to get to that girl." the guard whispered. It was low enough for only Aurora's ears.

The guard was wise and greedy as well. Aurora could feel his desire to monopolize the prize money by capturing Rita.

Aurora could not allow that to happen. She had invested too much in Rita to allow such greedy people to take her away.

"Aww. And here I was thinking of helping you." Aurora replied back with a similar voice level. Her expression was dark and her next words made the guard freeze.

Aurora was a hunter, the guard her prey. She would end him here. The guard was far younger, practically a teen at this point.

"I'm sure your debts will not pay themselves even if you got your hands on the prize money. But I can pay them off for you." Aurora's tone was suggestive but playful.

The guard looked startled at being found out but it was not hard to guess. Most of the guards on the first floor were lazy and had a bad temper.

Most also had a gambling addiction which landed them in huge debts. And Aurora had learned to recognize those types.

"N-No. There is no need for that young lady. I was never here and I did not see anything." The guard hesitated but decided Rita was not worth the hassle.

Aurora's words might have sounded innocent at first but they were codes used in underground society.

Aurora had learned to recognize those codes and even speak them when she joined the resistance.

She watched the guard go back to the other guards. Aurora did not care what story the guard fabricated to fool the other guards.

But she was not taking any chances. She had utilized her system to attack a small fragment of it the guard.

The system would keep him quiet and also ensure that the guard did not spill about Aurora or Rita to anyone.

[System Alert.

User

Stepping into the domain we like stepping into Aurora's memories. Everything inside the room looked like it had when Aurora last saw it.

But Aurora knew that was not possible.

This place did not exist in the present timeline. This palace was created using her memories.

"Welcome back. Did you have fun today?" Aurora knew this place was not real, but the hands on her waste felt familiar.

Clove's hands moved under Aurora's shirt, reaching for Aurora's chest.

Clove's body molded itself to Aurora's back. The bouncy and soft breasts pressing against Aurora's back felt good.

So did the hands massaging her cleavage. The familiarity only added to the novelty.

"Yeah. I had fun outside." Aurora replied. The illusion Aurora was pulled into was a potent one. It had the potential of captivating anyone with a weaker will.

"Oh. That's good. Now, should we have some fun?" Clove's voice spoke directly in Aurora's ear.

Aurora turned around, her arms snaking around the familiar thin waist of her wife. The taller body of Clove radiated amusement.

And that was how Aurora knew that this Clove was not real. This was a projection of her thoughts on a solid body.

"We will have fun, alright? But before that, do me a favour and take your hands off my chest." Aurora's voice was sweet. She looked behind her back, seemingly at empty air.

The hands moving over Aurora's body were real but they were not her wife's. But they did not stop their motion.

"But why? You seem to be enjoying yourself. And hasn't it been a long time since you felt the touch of your lover? Don't you want to keep on enjoying this a little longer?" The voice reaching Aurora's ears belonged to Clove.

The hands fastened their moment over Aurora's sensitive chest. They tugged a little harder causing Aurora to lose focus.

"I would enjoy my lover but this is not Clove. Stop messing around with me. Is this why the Abyss brought me back?" Aurora yelled.

More accurately.

Aurora tried to yell but Clove's hand on her chest pinched her. It caused her yelling to evolve into an 'almost' moan.

That caused Aurora to lose control of her aura for a single second. Aurora's eyes popped open as the Clove in front of her disappeared into thin air.

And not only her. The whole room started to fade away.

"You are still no fun. But it does seem like the Abyss granted you a second chance. Welcome to the family, little princess." It burned to see the adult Clove disappear in front of her.

Aurora knew that it had not been her wife, but her body had recognized that touch as familiar.

All Aurora felt was an aching feeling of familiar failure coursing through her.

"Who are you? I can tell that your magic is familiar to the abyss, but you don't look like a goddess to me. Who are you?" Once Aurora had gathered her thoughts, she finally decided to face her tormenter.

The female in front of Aurora gave off a familiar feeling to her.

"Me? I'm a part of this abyss that had gained consciousness. Since you have touched the 'real' abyss when you were granted its power., You know the real nature of this place, right?" the female questioned as she walked toward Aurora.

No. Walk was not the right word. The other female was floating.

Her feet did not touch the ground when she stepped toward Aurora.

"I don't know what this abyss is. I might have touched the 'real' abyss but that doesn't mean that I know what it is." Aurora replied.

When Aurora had been granted the Abyss's power, she had been dying. Forgive her for not remembering what the 'real' abyss was.

"I see. So you are an ignorant lamb? I wonder why the abyss chose you from all the available people there? Was it because your desire was that much stronger than the others?" the female questioned.

The creature seemed to be talking more to herself than to Aurora.

"I don't know. I don't know anything. But I have a feeling you do. Spill the beans or I'll make you spill them." Aurora's voice carried a threat.

But she had a feeling she was not been taken seriously.

Still, the other decided to humour Aurora and finally spill some beans.

"You might have become more than a human now but you still carry over their weird habit of categorizing things. 'Humans', gods', 'Monsters' are all categorized the humans made to make studying things easier. We? We are much more than those things. We are a part of the abyss itself. And we call ourselves 'Metamorphs." the female explained.

Aurora had no idea if the 'we' she mentioned meant herself. Or if there were more people out there that had the abyss's favour.

"Metamorphs? This is the first time I am hearing about this term." Aurora tried not to show how surprised she felt.

She had spent the better part of her life clearing out the abyss. It had given her the confidence of knowing the abyss inside out.

It was shocking and refreshing to see that there were still things she did not know.

"Of course, you won't know that term. You humans call us something else. You call us the 'over-lookers.' if the words before had surprised Aurora, the next ones shocked her to the core.

She might not have an idea what 'Metamorphs' had been. But she was not uncultured enough to not know what 'overlookers' meant.

They were said to be the abyssal energy that had taken a solid shape. They were the will of the abyss.

And they were a myth.

Forget mortals. Even gods and goddesses were required to pay respect to Overlooker's empty chambers once they entered the tower.

"But, why did you show yourself to me? Are you here because I did not pay my respect to your chamber?" Aurora questioned.

She was not sure if she was being lied to. But the energy of the abyss coming from the creature in front of her was real enough.

Aurora waited for the fear to wash over her. She knew she had messed up big times by not paying attention to the ceremonial details.

There had never been a record of what would happen to the celestial if they failed to pay their respect.

"Ah, about that? I don't care about that at all so I'll let you go this time. You are someone chosen by the abyss and carry a part of it in you. Technically, you are closer to us than to those prideful gods and goddesses." the female replied.

Aurora jerked back in fright as the female almost touched her lips to Aurora's.

Personal space seemed to not exist in the metamorph's dictionary. She did not take Aurora's hint to back off either.

"I see. Then, why are you here? Why did you pull me into this space?" Aurora questioned.

The female overlooker seemed to have no plan of causing Aurora trouble. It was a relief to see.

"Silly young princess. I did not pull you here. The abyss did that on its own. It has a task for you." the female replied.

"A task? By the abyss? But won't that require the abyss to be sentient?" Aurora spoke those words but she could not feel them register in her mind.

"Sentient? Oh, poor child. You will soon learn that the abyss is more than sentient. It has a will and a flow. It is a living entity with co-exists with the earth. And one day both of them will reach their end." the overlooker held a faraway look in her eyes.

Aurora felt more questions pop up in her mind than answers. She wanted to ask them but she could not make herself to.

The shock she felt at the revelations she had was too great. And yet, it did make sense.

Sos did the last voice and energy she had felt when she woke up in the past. No ordinary person had that power. It had to be the abyss.

"Alright. I can feel that I should not press you for more answers. So, what does the abyss want me to do? And why did it prompt you to assign me this task?" Aurora questioned.

The approving grin on the woman's face told Aurora that she had made the smart decision of not pursuing the answers.

"What the abyss wants you to do is simple. It wants you to correct its mistake and return a lost soul to its owner. Ah, it seems like you know what I am talking about." it could have been something else but Aurora knew this task was about Clove.

It had to be about Clove.

"I will do it," Aurora answered without hesitation.

"You will? But you have not even heard what it could cost you and what benefits you will get in ret-"

"I will do it. I will do it with or without the Abyss's blessing. I would have done it even if the abyss had been against this idea." Aurora's voice was strong and unshaken.

And for the first time, the female overlooker let her head fall back and let out a humorous laugh.

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Joyous laughter filled the chamber. The overlooker's frame shook with amusement at Aurora's words.

"I expected nothing else from the one selected by the Abyss. That being said, what are you planning to do? Do you have any idea where those fragments of your lover are?" The overlooker asked.

Aurora went red and then pale.

She had never entertained the possibility of not being able to find Clove's soul when she had planned the future. She had not even considered it a hindrance.

But looking back at it now, it was a massive oversight on Aurora's side.

"From your expression, I can tell that you did not think this far ahead. But I cannot fault you for it. You have the arrogance of goddess but no training to go along with it." The over keeper's laughter faded slowly.

But Aurora still felt amusement ooze off the other female.

"Are you just going to mock me? Or, are you going to help me." Aurora asked. She expected the overlooker to have a plan.

Otherwise, the creature would not have brought up this topic. You could never underestimate the creature of the abyss. Especially those who carried a part of its powers.

"I got caught. Well, since you are asking for help, I will throw you a bone. But you will need to do something for me as well." the overlooker purposed.

A thin and delicate hand extended itself toward Aurora. The overlooker gave a sharp but amused look.

"What do you say? You cannot control your powers. And you can't locate the soul fragments till you learn to control your powers. I can help you out." the female was taunting Aurora.

But even Aurora had to admit that she did not see this offer coming.

Overlookers were extremely rare to sight in person. To see one offer a contract was unheard of in any myth.

"What is the catch? Why are you willing to help me?" Aurora questioned.

She had to admit that her journey would become much easier with the overlooker's help. But she could not help but feel unsettled still.

The overlooker was an agent of the Abyss.

"Catch? I don't think you'll believe me if I say that there is none. And even if there is, I promise it won't affect you." the female assured.

Aurora wanted to refuse on principles but she was running out of excuses. Her powers were not going to control themselves.

She needed guidance.

"Alright. Let's form that contract of yours. But don't try to pull one over me." Aurora did not know where her confidence was coming from.

She did not feel afraid of the overlooker. The familiar feeling the overlooker gave made Aurora's instincts relax.

"See. I knew you would come around. And I hope you know how to sign the contract as well? You will need to receive my power deep inside yourself. You will need to accept my essence." The overlooker informed.

This was something Aurora knew well enough. After all, this was what had given the abyss its true name.

The common people knew this place as the abyss. But the ones that had gotten past floor 5 knew the abyss's true name.

The Abyss of Dual Cultivation. And the real currency of the abyss was power.

Once you got past a certain stage, everything was facilitated by the exchange of power between different bodies. Be it currency, weapon, or even a simple exchange of information.

It was all regulated by energy exchange.

And the most important of it all was the contract exchange. And the only way to solidify such a contract was through dual cultivation.

"I know what I must do. But I have to admit that it does not make me happy." Aurora slipped her hand into the overlooker's extended hand.

She allowed herself to be pulled into the overlooker's body. Their chests met, as did their lower halves. It was difficult to tell where one started and where the other ended.

"Won't your wife be jealous if she sees you like this?" the overlooker asked as her face approached Aurora's.

"Only if she remembers. But Clove's forgiving and she doesn't get jealous easily." Aurora assured. There was no need to bait the overlooker, but Aurora still did it anyway.

And between one moment and the next, their lips met. It was a battlefield of dominance between the two powers. Tongues battled against each other inside Aurora's mouth and she felt her body react.

When the kiss broke, a string of saliva connected Aurora's lips to the overlooker.

"My name is Ava Torkas. I am a vessel of the abyss. I propose this contract between myself and -"

"Aurora Dehva"

"-May our bear fruit of victory."

That was the most bizarre contract line Aurora had ever heard. It sounded more like a voe than a contract. But Ava gave Aurora no time to think her words through.

One second she was speaking, the next Ava was trying to steal the breath out of Aurora's lungs.

Something hard poked Aurora's stomach. The hardness felt familiar but one she had not felt for some time.

It gave her a pause.

"What's wrong? Are you scared? You can sit back and let me do all the work for you." Ava purposed. Ava's hand made contact with Aurora's breasts and fondled the soft mounds.

And then she shoved Aurora to the ground.

Aurora felt the larger body on top of her. Ava was pressing her to the ground. The outlooker's arms were caging Aurora inside.

And Ava's gaze was challenging.

"Scared? I'm not a blushing virgin who needs your help. I can take anything you dish out at me." Aurora assured.

She did not like the confidence coming out of Ava. The other was underestimating Aurora and it hurt her pride. The goddess inside her wanted to show Ava what real power was all about.

But Aurora held back. She needed to sit back and receive Ava's powers inside.

Taking initiative would not help in this situation.

"I knew you were the right match for me. Now, let's see how prepared your body actually is?" Ava's hands were cold and foreign as they mapped Aurora's chest.

But the outlooker did not waste any in finding her pussy entrance.

Aurora's body did not provide any resistance to the probing fingers. It took them all in with ease and stretched around the fingers.

But it was still a tight fit.

"Wow. Your body is eager. It makes me wonder if the abyss gave you power over sex and seduction. Maybe even lust?" Aurora knew that Ava was not talking to her.

But her body did not care. It reacted to Ava's voice and clenched around the fingers.

The energy Ava was sending inside her was familiar and it filled Aurora perfectly. It was like welcoming a part of her back inside her body.

Her pussy worked around the fingers. The feeling must be pleasurable for Ava as well since her hardness made itself known against Aurora's thigh.

"I wonder if I can enter you like this. Without any preparation and all raw. Shall we try it out?" Aurora felt her mind melt at the pleasure.

She had been together along with Colve many times to know that this was not normal for her.

But something similar had happened with Freha. Pleasure had made Aurora lose her reason at that time as well.

The thinking was getting progressively difficult as more and more magic filled her.

It was not enough and so much at the same time.

The penis pressing against her pussy did not help the matter. Aurora was wet enough to take Ava's whole length inside her without any problem.

Aurora's legs had a mind of their own as they snaked around Ava's hips. And before the overlooker had enough time to consider her new position, Aurora pulled the other toward her body.

Ava's pleasure-filled yell informed Aurora that the overlooker had not been ready for that action.

And neither had been Aurora.

But the penis was inside her now and it throbbed painfully. It was pain and pleasure mixed in one.

But the most overwhelming thing was the flow of magic between the pair. It was intense and familiar.

The abyss was aiding their coupling, converting the pair into mindless animals.

"S-Sorry. I can't hold back. It's your fault for forcing me to go faster." Aurora did not get to brace herself.

Ava's thrusts were fast and sharp. Her penis made quick work of Aurora and dragged her closer and closer to the release.

The magic aided their coupling and caused the pair to reach their end much faster.

Aurora felt something wet fill her as the bond finally snapped in place. She did not even notice her body let go. Nor did she hear her voice crying out in pleasure.

It was all magic and heat around her. The embrace of the abyss beckoned her to sleep her fatigue off.

[New contract successful. Familiar acquired

Statue: Bonded with a zoodiac]

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Aurora woke up alone in the underground room. Her surroundings seemed to have reverted to the normal Abyss dungeon in her sleep.

Aurora waited to feel Ava's touch. She vaguely remembered the larger female falling asleep spooning her body.

So, the lack of body heat was concerning. Had Ava decided to leave Aurora alone for the time being?

Though Aurora did feel something heavy draped around her neck. It made her feel sore and tired. She did not remember owning such an accessory.

Aurora could only conclude that Ava must be behind this. Maybe the overlooker had decided to bestow Aurora with a magical artifact?

"Hey! Be careful. Having no limbs makes it difficult for me to balance myself." Aurora tensed as those words reached her ear. They sounded like they were spoken directly in her ear.

There was a wet feeling in the inner side of her ear. Something wet was touching her ear rather intimately.

Aurora's hands moved toward the 'accessory' on her neck carefully. She had a feeling that 'accessory' was not the right word to describe it.

Aurora's hands touched something scaly. Aurora's mind decided to freak out and defend herself.

One second Aurora's hand was empty, the next second she had a snake in her hand.

"Heyyyy. Wait! You can't throw me like that. We have a contractttttttt." Aurora almost swung the snake before the snake decided to coil around her wrist.

The snake's grip tightened at the first hint of the swinging. Aurora quickly stopped her assault once she realized who the snake was.

"Ava? What are you doing as a snake?" Aurora asked.

She was not really surprised to see someone turn into a snake. Even a trained human could do this.

So an overlooker being able to do this was not a surprise to her.

"This is my 'real' form. I was a snake before receiving the abyss's blessing. I don't enjoy being in this form. But it would make it easier for me to leave the abyss with you like this." Ava explained.

"Real form?" Aurora questioned. She let Ava coil on her arm, but fatigue was building fast. The snake was heavier than Aurora had anticipated.

"Abyss can grant power. It can even reverse the time back. It even has the power to revive people. But it can't create life. So the tower shared its power and enlightenment with others it deems worthy." Ava explained.

The snake decided to take advantage of Aurora's shock and climb up her arm.

Ava decided to coil around Aurora's neck and settle her body there. It was uncomfortable for Aurora at first, but she quickly got used to it.

"So, you were a snake before the abyss granted you enlightenment?" Aurora asked. She wanted to make sure she had the right information.

"Yes. I was a snake, just as you were a human. Now we both are more than that. But that is a talk for another day." Ava answered. She had answered Aurora's question but it felt evaded.

"So, what next? How long have we been in this chamber for?" Aurora asked. She was calm at first but quickly panicked.

It had felt like a day inside the chamber but the passage passing time was weird in the abyss.

It mainly followed the over-world day-night cycle. But there were certain parts of the abyss that had their one flow of time. A day in such a camber could mean months outside.

Aurora prayed that she had not found herself in such a chamber.

"How long have we been here? A century." the snake answered. Aurora felt her heart sink and her face paled at the answer.

A century? A CENTURY?

What about the academy? The progress? Her revenge? Clove's soul?

"Hahahahahah. Your face! Did you believe me? Without any evidence? I did not expect you to be so pure despite your circumstances. Don't worry, it's only been one day." Aurora's pale face went red at the tease.

"Stop it. What did I do to deserve this treatment from you?" Aurora questioned. She did not want an answer for real.

And Ava knew that as well. The snake chose not to answer Aurora's question.

"So, you will come and help me out? What about the area you have to overlook? Won't it be a problem for you?" Aurora questioned.

It was not Aurora's problem for now. But it could become one in the future if Ava had to leave at a crucial time.

Aurora needed to be certain that she could trust the over-looker at a clutch time.

"Don't worry. I can still keep an eye on the first 5 floors from the outside. They are close enough to the surface that I won't have any problem." Ava assured.

Aurora did not question the overlooker further.

The chamber door disappeared behind Aurora once she stepped out. The corridor was not the same one she had entered the chamber from.

The first thing Aurora did was switch on her system. Aurora's heightened emotions had caused the system to malfunction on her end.

She just prayed that it had not affected anyone else.

[System powering on.

Alerts: User

"Don't give me that look. Those rude humans totally deserve to fall down and break their necks. The audacity those humans had. They dared to block the way of an outlooker and then -" Ava never finished her words.

Aurora lifted the snake from her neck. Then she moved Ava right in front of her and stared the snake right in the eyes.

Aurora felt Ava's uneasiness.

"W-What? I did nothing wrong! They had it coming. Did you not feel annoyed with them as well?" Ava defended her actions. She sounded certain and justified in her actions.

And the sad part was that Aurora agreed with Ava. A huge part of Aurora felt gleeful when Quince had fallen through the trap.

But then the reality had come knocking its ugly head and reminded Aurora that Quince was not alone.

Clove was down there as well.

"You will show me the way down. We will get them out of that trap as soon as possible." Aurora commanded.

Her voice was soft yet threatening. Aurora was sure Ava could feel her anger bubbling under her even temper.

"Of course. Right away. I can also let them out right now if you want me to." Ava negotiated.

Aurora could tell that she was scaring Ava. The abyss was responding to her anger and amplifying her magic.

"No. We will go to them and pretend that we did not know how this happened. I don't want to blow my cover this soon. And I especially don't want people to be clued on your identity." Aurora reasoned.

Even Aurora knew that she was bullshitting at this point. No one would pay any attention if the trap was terminated mid-way.

It would not be the first occurrence of such a thing. And it would not be the last either.

"Alright. If that's what you want, then that's what will happen." Ava had better survival instincts than Aurora had given her credit for.

The overlooker asked no questions as she waved her tail. The trail room's wall parted and allowed Aurora to view the secret passage.

"This is the secret exit way for the trail. Only lucky people can find it. We can use this to go down." Ava pointed out.

Aurora considered the offer. And then she decided to take it. It was better than falling down a hole anyway.

The passage looked to be made out of well-maintained stones. It almost looked artificial in touch and feel.

But there was nothing artificial about the abyss. It just appeared like this from time to time.

"Be careful. Do not drop me down in the water. I hate the feeling of being cold and wet." Ava complained as she slid her way back up Aurora's arm.

Aurora had not realized that she was about to drop the snake in her arm.

"Ah, sorry. I should throw you across the room for what you did." Aurora let her voice have a hint of irritation.

"Are you still angry at me? Aren't I helping you? Stop being such a pain in my ass. Hey, stop ignoring me." Aurora lamented her own bad luck.

Out of all the people she had a contract with, she got the only one who had a personality she did not like. She desperately hoped that not all outlookers were like this.

"So, what's the game plan? You will lead those two to the secret exit?" Ava asked once she realized that she was not getting a raise out of Aurora.

And Aurora also decided to answer once she was sure Ava was serious.

"No. we can't lead them to the secret exit. That would lead to too many questions. It's better to try and find an exit with them." Aurora explained.

"I know the exit route as well. But I have a feeling that you do not want them to find the exit too soon and make them suspicious." Aurora nodded at Ava's conclusion.

It would have been one thing for them to find the exit if they had experience. Had Aurora not met Quince and Clove before, she might have even led them right to the exit.

But that was no longer the case. Quince and Clove knew that Aurora was inexperienced as of a week ago. One week was not enough time to change that fact.

"That would be for the best. A few hours should be enough to make our story believable. Also, do not talk in front of them or they will get suspicious." with the final command Aurora headed to where she heard Clove's voice.

Ava gave off an offending feeling and paired it with a light slap of her tail.

"-don't have supplied. We will have to wait for the tower to send us back-up." Clove's voice rang out clearly inside Aurora's ears.

It was a surprise to see her once-wife say those words. Clove had always been an adventure lover and had never shied away from danger.

"But we don't know when they will be. We should at least try and get out of here." Quince snapped back gently.

Aurora had seldomly seen the pair fight in her last life. Most fights had been over Aurora and her relationship with Clove.

Never had the pair butted heads over what to do during an adventure. Quince was too whipped to argue with Clove most of the time.

"But I don't think I can move. And I don't want to risk your life either. We can manage to hold on-" Clove spoke and Aurora finally decided to make her presence known.

She purposely kicked a stone and watched the pair freeze.

"Wipe the jealous look off your face. It will scare people off." Ava spoke softly in Aurora's ears.

Aurora refused to take the bait. (It had nothing to do with the fact that she had been jealous of Clove's attention on Quince. She was not about to admit that under any circumstances.)

"Who's there. Don't come this way or I will kill you." Quince threatened.

"No monster will understand you on the first five levels. You are wasting your breath." Aurora stepped out of the shadows.

Her entrance had been more dramatic than was needed but who cared. It did the job of driving attention toward her.

"Y-Y-YOU! You made us fall into this trap. What are you doing here?" Quince questioned. His confusion and wariness slammed into Aurora.

Clove was a blank piece of paper for Aurora, but Aurora could real confusion in her aura as well.

"Do you really think I had the power to make you fall into a trap? It's like saying that I can control the abyss. Is that what you are saying?" Aurora questioned.

She walked right to the group and sat down.

"Of course, you cannot control the abyss. But that doesn't mean you had nothing to do with our present condition." Quince pointed out.

Ava's amusement was clear to Aurora's senses. She lightly squeezed the snake on her neck before turning to the pair.

"I had nothing to do with you two falling into this trap. If I did then I won't be stuck with you as well." Aurora informed.

She could feel the other pair's will wavering at Aurora's words. She was finally getting through to them.

"Let's say that we believe you for now. What do you propose for us to do?" Quince asked. He finally looked like he was willing to hear them out.

Aurora quickly gave him a look before looking at Clove's face. It was blank but Aurora felt Clove's eyes lingering on her form in confusion.

"Well, Quince is right. We can't stay here any longer or we'll become sitting ducks for the monsters lingering in these depths. The exit should be where the river ends." Aurora pointed.

She could feel Ava's nudge in that direction.

Quince's aura told her that he was not willing to trust her 100%, but he would go along with her for now.

"Why are you helping us out? There is no need for you to stick with us. I can feel your magic and you have enough to break out of this trap on your own." Clove questioned.

"Let's just say that it is a pet peeve of mine. You tried to help me out in the tower and I feel like I have to reciprocate your actions." Aurora smiled as she spoke.

Whether Clove beloved her or not, Aurora did not care. Nor did she check.

She allowed the other two to discuss their options as she waited for their answer.

"Those people don't trust you and yet they agreed to your help. I feel like they are planning something." Ava summarized. Her voice was just loud enough for Aurora to hear.'

"Of course they are. I expected Quince to take my offer from the start. He won't miss a chance to scout out the tower's competition." Aurora informed Ava.

She could tell that the snake had been stunned silence.

"I don't understand your mind. Do what you want to." Ava finally sighed as she settled down on Aurora's shoulder.

And right in time for Quince to look up and present her with an answer.

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Do you think we should take her offer?" Quince watched his childhood friend shift around in nervousness. He could recognize that action as uneasiness on Clove's part.

"To be honest, I don't trust that lady. She appeared down here even when we did not watch her fall. And the snake on her neck is an abyss monster. Yet it is not attacking her. Not to mention -" Quince fell quiet before he finished.

Aurora Dehva was the name the blue-haired female had used to register herself with the tower.

She had passed the exam without any problem. And then she humiliated the tower master in front of everyone present.

But that was not all. Aurora had somehow transformed while being submerged in the tower's water.

Listed initially as thirteen years old, the female had aged considerably in a few hours. The most evident change had been physical maturity.

"Quince, you are staring at her. Stop being a pervert and get your head back on the topic." Quince did not blush at the accusation. His cheeks just got red due to his justified anger at the statement.

"I am not ogling her assets. She might have an attractive outer appearance. But she's still our competition. Not that I believe that in her capabilities in being able to stand against the tower." Quince assured.

Clove's face told him that she did not believe Quince's words.

But she had no right to criticize him in this situation.

"Aren't you the one having dreams about her every night and waking up flushed? You're more likely to be crushing on her than I am. Besides, I'm-I'm sorry. I spoke too much." Quince winched as he felt the glare.

Clove had a blank look on her face when she looked back at Quince.

And when a woman gave you that look, you should keep your mouth quiet and apologize. That was a lesson Quince had learned the hard way.

Especially when it was 'that time of the month' for the female.

"It would be better for you not to test my patience. I won't dignify your words with an answer either. But I guess you are right. We have to cooperate with her and find out whatever we can about her powers. I have a feeling that Aurora will play a major role in changing this tower." Clove finally looked away.

Quince breathed a sigh of relief when she did look away. She was scary and Aurora was powerful.

Most higher-ups looked at her and saw her mask. The fragile smile and a venerable body. They did not know the darkness that lay beneath Clove's aura.

It had happened out of the blue. One day Clove was alright, and the next she was scary and powerful. But she was not cursed, nor did she talk about it.

"Sooooo, have we decided on our course of action?" Quince asked.

"Yes. We will cooperate with her. I will try to get her to lower her guard and get some secrets out in the way as well." Clove assured.

Quince believed her when Clove said those words. But he also knew that some part of Clove wanted to be close to Aurora.

Clove had not been herself ever since she had met Aurora. Her temper had gotten worse.

But Quince decided not to interfere in this matter as long as he did not have to. He liked living.

But still, he had observed a key thing. No matter how good of an actor Clove was, her smile seemed genuine when she was in Aurora's company.

Quince would have to observe more before forming an official opinion.

……

"Wow. Their emotions are all over the place. I can't keep up at all." Ava sounded in awe.

Aurora felt worried and glanced at the talking couple a few times. Both had their back toward her which made it difficult to guess what they were talking about.

"Humans are often like that. You'll get used to it." Aurora assured. Even she found the fluctuation of emotions a little hard to keep up with.

Aurora had a lot of questions she wanted to ask but now was not the time. She had to wait for the couple to finish their talk.

But it did not take long for them to finish.

"Looks like they are heading our way," Ava whispered before she fell limp on Aurora's shoulder.

Quince gave Ava a searching look but the snake was smart enough not to react.

"Finally decided on my offer?" Aurora asked. Even then, she already knew what the answer was going to be from the other side.

"Yes. We decided that cooperation is the best option we have for now. There is no telling when the tower will send us help." Quince sounded agitated.

"And do you agree with this option?" Aurora asked Clove.

The female gave a hesitant smile to Aurora.

"Yes. I think it will be best for us to cooperate for now." Clove agreed.

It was nice to see that Clove was still the sensible female Aurora had come to trust. Aurora had missed her lover and seeing her this young was nostalgic.

Even if the staring was getting a bit too much for Aurora's liking.

"Is something wrong? Do I have something on my face?" Aurora questioned. She expected Clove to shy away when her face neared the younger female.

But it was Quince who jumped back in alarm. He felt confused but also alarmed.

He looked between Aurora and Clove as if trying to figure something out. It made Aurora want to poke her tongue out at him.

And she was about to do just that when she felt Clove turn beside her. Her expression must be bad for Quince to pale considerably.

"Your face is beautiful. But I was just startled by the snake on your shoulder. It is an abyss monster, right? Won't it be dangerous to keep it with us?" Clove's voice betrayed her nervousness.

It did make sense for Clove to be nervous and ask questions. It also explained Quince's jumping nature.

He was afraid for her friend's safety.

"Don't worry. Ava is harmless. We have a contract so she won't attack us." Aurora explained.

"Contract? Then you d-did that with a snake? How? Why? No, that is not important. How did you manage to find a contract beast on the first floor?" Quince tripped over his words.

His face was red and his aura gave off an embarrassing feeling.

"Oh. And how do you know what should be done to make a contract? Did you secretly like to read such texts? Your reaction betrays you as a virgin." Aurora teased.

The teen went redder. Revenge was a dish best served cold.

"I don't understand this at all. Can someone explain this to me?" Clove asked and it caused Aurora to sober up immediately.

The poor female teen exerted anxiety and confusion.

It melted Aurora's heart and made her feel bad at the same time. She had not wanted Clove to feel confused.

"You don't need to understand anything at all. Let us focus on getting out of this place for now. Everything else can come later" Aurora assured.

She could feel the aura of Abyss monsters starting to close in on the group. Fighting would be a hindrance since she would have to hold back strength.

And there was also the chance of getting attacked by a high-level monster. Clove was in a delicate condition for now. She could not handle this much pressure.

"We need to start moving. I can feel multiple beast auras heading our way." Aurora informed. Her voice had lost its cheer.

"And how can you tell?" Quince questioned. But even he seemed to be on edge.

Aurora did not like Quince but he had been strong in the future. Strong enough to survive the later floors of the abyss.

And one did not make it far without having good instincts.

"I think you know how I can tell. The air in this trap had gotten disturbingly quiet." Aurora replied.

Her body unconsciously took a few steps behind Clove. Her love had never needed Aurora's help before but Aurora was not about to let her down.

Quince looked like he would hiss at her if she did not get away. Aurora took a step closer to the behavior.

Clove's aura felt almost content. It was reminiscent of Aurora's past life.

After all, they had started as a party of three.

"So, we just follow the water for now. Let's hope we see the exit soon." Quince sounded tired.

Aurora let out a private smile as she walked behind the group. Her eyes narrowed at the monsters nearing the group and her power slipped just a bit.

It was enough to make the monsters back off.

If the other two noticed anything, they did not say. They seemed not to even notice how close the monsters were getting to the group.

But the important part was, that no one got attacked throughout the trip and the trio safely made it out of the trap in record time.

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"Finally. We managed to get out of that hole." Aurora looked back at the pair panting behind her.

Clove looked a little paler than Aurora would have liked her to be but Quince looked bad. His face was red and his breath labored.

"Was the climb that difficult for you? You should take care of yourself better." Aurora neared Quince's face to check up on him but he jumped back.

He quickly glanced at Clove before turning back toward Aurora.

"I'm alright. I'm just a little surprised that we did not run into any monsters on our way out. I thought I felt them crawling near us a few times." Quince's laughter was nervous and forced.

'He is on to me.' Aurora was sure of this fact now.

But she did not show that thought on her face. Aurora smiled her most disarming smile toward the pair.

"That was fortunate for us. I am glad that no one got hurt." Aurora aimed her smile toward Clove.

Aurora felt Ava pick her head up from her rest and glance at the group. Then the snake went back to her rest.

"I guess it is time we part away. Hopefully, we will have more opportunities to work together in the future." Aurora consoled the pair.

The pair watched her go with complicated expressions.

It was only after Aurora was gone did Quince risked taking a look at Clove.

"You don't look happy to see her go. There is still time to capture her and get her back. I'm sure my father would be happy if we brought her back with us." Quince suggested.

But even though he was suggesting that option, he knew that it would not be possible for him.

"Be serious. We currently don't have enough power to drag her back with us. Didn't you notice how the monsters were avoiding her while we walked toward the exit?" Clove asked.

Quince flinched as he remembered the glowing red eyes trailing their every moment. He had never felt this many monsters in such close vicinity.

"So it was not you who made them all back away?" Quince asked.

Clove shook her head.

"I might have been born with the Abyss's blessing but I can't access that power. No. Something else frightened those monsters. And I have a feeling that it was Aurora they were afraid of." Clove concluded.

"What should we do now? Are we going to report her to the higher-ups? Clove? CLOVE?" Quince's questions went unanswered as Clove turned around to leave.

An amused smile broke out on the female's face as she heard the desperate cries of her childhood friend.

But the confused feeling of longing and grief inside Clove's heart did not lessen. It was the same feeling she had felt when she had first met Aurora in the Abyss tower.

It felt like she knew Clove from somewhere but Clove could not tell from where. But Aurora made Clove's loneliness go away.

So Clove was sure she would see Aurora again and soon enough.

"Master Quince, Mistress Clove. We finally managed to find you. Are you alright?" the worker that had come to receive the pair sounded relieved to see them.

Clove quickly schooled her features into her polite and gentle smile. Quince flinched once he joined Clove's side.

"Did father send for you?" Quince asked. He was quick to pick up on the act.

"Yes. Master said to inform you that you need to head toward the first-floor trail room. The previous one will be over in a few hours. It would do you both good to have this cleared out of the way." The guard informed.

Clove nodded her head and Quince quickly caught on to her wish.

"Of course. Lead the way." The pair arrived at the test chamber entrance and Clove instantly felt Clove's familiar presence.

Her eyes moved through the room-

-Only to see the elder being wrapped up in some unfamiliar redhead's embrace. And Clove could swear that the red-head was taking advantage of Clove's stunned face to take some liberties with her.

But Aurora pulled away soon enough and dragged the red-head out of the room.

The snake on Aurora's shoulder met Clove's eyes. Clove read the warning clear in them but she chose to ignore them.

She almost took a step toward the pair before she felt a hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.

"Don't cause any unnecessary trouble for us. We are in the public eye. Anything you do will be reported to the higher-ups." Clove stopped.

She had to make a visible effort to stop herself from gritting her teeth but she somehow managed to do that.

For the rest of her trail, Clove had a fake smile plastered over her face but only Quince could tell.

……

The journey through the trap had almost been nostalgic for Aurora. It had reminded her of the good old days.

And the dynamic of the trio had not changed much, even if she was no longer the same age as the other two.

Clove was still the sweet and caring girl she always has been. And Quince was still the problematic and jealous man he had always been.

"Is it necessary for you to go? It was fun being with you and I don't want to part ways just yet. Can't you stay with us any longer?" Aurora felt the pressure build up as Clove looked at her.

Aurora knew if she looked at Clove's eyes, she would cave in. She had always been weak in front of her.

"I can't. I have an academy of my own to operate and I am not that fond of the tower. I can't reconsider, even if it is for you two. And I shall also take my leave." Aurora quickly fled the scene.

She could feel confusion and betrayal coming from the pair. Aurora did not dwell much on these feelings as she fled.

"Those creatures were funny. But I would advise you to stay away from that girl. There is something not right about her." Ava finally picked her head up for real.

She had been so quiet that Aurora even forgot her existence. But the spoke words finally snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I can't afford to do that. That girl back there was Clove." Aurora replied.

Ava instantly fell quiet, her brain deep in thought.

"Fine. I was just warning you for your sake. You are free to do what you want to. Also, you should hurry up. I can feel the energy from the floor trial gate. It is about to be over." Aurora changed her direction as soon as she heard that.

Aurora had not even realized that two days had passed since she had left Rita. Aurora needed to get back and pick her up.

Ava helped Aurora get back without detection. Ava directed her toward the hidden doorways Aurora had not even known about.

And it was only because of Ava that Aurora managed to get back in time. Ava's proud aura betrayed her aloof face.

"Rita. Come this way." Aurora waved as she spotted Rita's red hair. The teen looked dazed but her eyes held a real spark of power now.

Aurora did not get a chance to react as Rita blamed the other people and slammed into Aurora's chest.

"Easy on the hug there. You are not as weak as you look." Aurora scolded as she regained her balance. The arms around Aurora tightened just a bit.

And maybe it was Aurora's imagination, but Rita looked older. Aurora was sure that Rita had not crossed her shoulder in height two days ago.

But now she looked almost as tall as Aurora.

And when Rita looked up, she looked older as well. She almost looked like the Rita from Aurora's timeline.

"Did something happen in your trail? You look like you've aged. Were the two days really that tough for you?" Aurora questioned but she only felt the hold tighten around her middle.

But Aurora's middle was not the only place she felt being squeezed. Something was lightly squeezing her right breast and fondling it.

Aurora tried to gain some distance from Rita but the younger held on to Aurora too tightly. The hold on her breast tightened as well.

Aurora felt the moan escape her. She could not stop the red from spreading across her face.

She quickly glanced across the room and spotted Quince's platinum-white hair and flinched.

If he was here, then Clove must be here as well.

"Rita, we are leaving this place. We cannot afford to be caught here." Aurora whispered.

Rita nodded. Her head did not pick itself up from Aurora's chest even when she agreed.

Aurora quickly maneuvered the pair out of the room. She knew this would attract quite a few eyes but Aurora chanced that risk.

She felt Ava pick her weight up and give the surroundings a vigilant look.

In this manner, the trio made their way outside the trail hall. And landed head-first in the most basic trap on the first floor.

They walked into a cave without any exit.

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"How long are you going to hold on to me? It is uncomfortable for me since you're almost as tall as me now." Aurora asked but she made no effort to separate Rita.

"Just a few more minutes," Rita replied.

The voice sounded familiar to Aurora. It brought back memories with aching familiarity.

"You sure did change in two days. You look years older now." Aurora observed.

Rita's face on her chest moved. Aurora could feel the lips move against her skin and it sent shivers down her spine.

Rita's lips were too close to her nipples. Even the smallest moment could cause disaster for Aurora.

"-not two days." Rita was speaking but Aurora felt distracted. The exhaling sensation against her breast was too distracting.

"Wake up. She's speaking to you." Ava decided she had enough. Her bite brought Aurora back to reality.

Aurora's hand instantly flew toward her neck and cupped the aching area. Her neck felt hot to touch.

"Ava, what the hell? What are you doing?" Aurora questioned. The bite was beginning to ache now.

"Your companion looked distressed. Her aura also feels like it will explode any moment." Ava pointed out.

Aurora did not get a chance to answer.

Rita moved in an instant and pulled Aurora toward her chest with one hand while managing to capture Ava with her other hand.

The snake did not struggle as Rita held her at sword point.

"What are you? You feel like a familiar but you don't have the magic of a familiar." Rita questioned.

Aurora had to take her time and nurse her spinning head. Rita's actions had been too fast for her.

"Rita, no. Ava is a beast I made a contract with. She's harmless." Aurora assured as she quickly pulled Ava back to safety.

Ava's aura conveyed her mixed feeling. The snake seemed to not be able to decide if she was insulted at being protected. Or if she had been flattered at receiving such a treatment.

"But we can't be sure about that. What if she turns on you?" Rita questioned.

"She can't. We have a contract that prevents Ava from hurting me and my associates." Aurora assured.

But Rita did not look convinced. Her narrow eyes made Aurora tense and she knew she had to change the topic now.

"We can discuss Ava later. For now, I'm more interested to know what happened to you? You were in your teens the last time I checked. But you seemed to have aged significantly." Aurora questioned.

Rita seemed reluctant to talk to her in front of Ava. So Aurora gesture for Ava to leave the pair alone.

Ava looked betrayed at her action. But she did not linger around the pair.

"Hmph. I can see that I am not needed here. Call me when you decide that you appreciate my help." The snake left.

As she did, she closed the cave entrance behind her.

Aurora wanted to remark on Ava's behavior but she suddenly felt drained of her energy. The wound on her neck throbbed as well.

"She's gone. Are you going to tell me more about what happened to you now?" Aurora questioned.

Rita looked at the entrance. Aurora could feel her magic scanning the area for potential monsters.

'When did she learn to do that?' Aurora wondered. She could check the system to know but it felt like an invasion of privacy to her.

"You told me that only two days had passed since I entered the test chamber, right? But for me, it felt like decades. I didn't even feel like myself half the time there." Rita sounded defeated.

The cheer in her voice was gone.

The younger female leaned her frame into Aurora. Aurora had no other choice but to support Rita or risk her falling.

But Aurora's body did not have much strength either. It caused her to collapse and Rita to fall on top of her.

"It was lonely. I was still me but it felt like I was living another life. A life in which I did not meet you when I did. A life in which I lost everything." Rita continued as she moved her hands.

Aurora wanted to stop Rita's wandering hands. One was beneath her shirt, mapping her stomach.

"Rita, cut it out. We are in a serious discussion." Aurora hissed. But her lack of action only spurred Rita further.

The younger's hands were approaching dangerous territory.

Aurora finally took action once Rita cupped her breast and squeezed the right one. The familiar feeling told Aurora who the culprit had been before.

"Rita, don't do something you'll regret later." Aurora pulled away.

Rita stared at her hand with a blank expression before schooling it back in the calm and collected expression Aurora had been used to.

The younger looked exactly like her older counterpart. The same heated eyes, the same frown.

It made Aurora skip a beat.

"I don't think I'm going to regret anything. I just wanted to confess but I messed things up." Rita whispered.

Aurora wanted to pretend she did not hear those words. But Rita's gloomy aura persuaded Aurora to act.

She needed to solve this knot before it developed into something else.

"Rita, be clear in your words. I will listen and I won't run away. Whatever problem you have with me, let's clear it out." Rita looked conflicted.

But Aurora felt hope rise in Rita's aura.

"I love you." The words were strong and confident. Aurora felt her breath stop as Rita's voice reached her ear.

And her brain froze. Her body felt like it was heating up.

"Excuse me? What kind of joke is this?" Aurora asked. Her ears rang as her mind recalled Rita's words.

Love? Rita had to be mistaken.

"I don't know when and where, but I fell in love with you. I did not even know it was love until recently. The trail made me hallucinate and then it showed me a future where you marry someone else. And I decided I couldn't bear it." Rita sounded desperate.

Even her aura felt desperate and clingy. Its intensity swept Aurora away.

"Wait a second. Aurora, you're young and I think you're confusing love with gratitude. You're not even an adult in your mind. You can still stop." Aurora promised.

"I don't think I can. I don't want to stop my feelings from developing. I want to take this chance, even if it is only 1%." Rita confessed.

Aurora tried to hide her face behind her hand but she was not able to pull them back.

Rita held them in a a tight grip.

"Still, it is too soon for me. You were just a child for me a day before. Besides-"

"-besides?-"

"I'm not sure I can see you like that. I don't think I can see you in a romantic sense." Aurora confessed.

Rita looked confused but then determined.

Aurora wanted to lean back when Rita leaned forward. Their lips were too close to each other and Aurora felt her face heat up.

Her heart was beating like crazy and her head felt lighter than it had a few seconds before. The heat in her neck intensified even more.

'She's ours. She's offering herself to us. Take you like yours.' Some part of Aurora hissed at her.

Aurora recognized it as the goddess inside her. That part of her mainly kept quiet but it was quite vocal right now.

Vocal enough to seem like a different person.

Rita did not linger near her face for long. She pulled back and a beautiful smile greeted the younger's face.

Aurora almost reached out to cup Rita's face but stopped herself short.

Rita did not allow her to do this.

"I won't ask for much. Give me one night to change your mind. And if we're not compatible after this, I will give up on you. But if there's even a small bit of hope, I want you to not stop me in my pursuit." Rita asked.

Aurora knew she should not give in to the other this easily.

But her body was too tired and the heat was spreading. She did not want to fight this feeling either.

"One night. And no matter what the outcome, you will never bring this night up again. That is my condition for this contract." A hint of hurt flashed across Rita's face before she schooled her face.

Aurora knew she had been unnecessarily cruel in her words.

But she wanted Rita to understand that things might not work out.

"I understand." Rita agreed. Even Aurora's indifference did not drag her away. And Aurora decided to give up for the day.

Her head was spinning already and her body felt heavy. She knew she was not suffering from a normal poison.

It had to be the one Ava accidentally injected into her body when Aurora was bit by Ava.

"I'll make sure to carve myself on your body. You'll crave for me once we're done." Rita promised and Aurora put up no resistance.

Even when their tongues battle, Aurora did not push Rita away. Instead, she pulled the younger toward her body.

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Read Abyss of Dual Cultivation: Goddess's Lust system Chapter 41 online for free - AllNovelFull

"I'll make sure to carve myself on your body. You'll crave for me once we're done." Was what Rita had promised.

Her words sounded confident but her technique left much to be desired.

Rita's lips were demanding. Her tongue was hot and wet inside Aurora's mouth. It was a struggle to get the younger one to calm down.

Aurora tried to get Rita to calm down and slow her pace. But Rita did not seem to appreciate her gesture.

"S-Slow down. You are g-going too fast." Aurora complained but her body seem to be enjoying the attention.

Her lower half especially appreciated the attention it was getting from Rita.

"Are you sure you want me to slow down? Your body seems to have a different idea." Rita's tone was teasing. But the younger sounded out of breath.

Aurora's body reacted as soon as she felt hands near her lower lips. The friction felt good.

She was too wet and hot to think properly.

Aurora knew she had a reason for not wanting to sleep with Rita but it was too difficult o remember what it was right now.

She could feel the heat taking over her body as Rita kissed her again.

But this time, Aurora decided to take charge. Her lips hurt from Rita's forceful actions and Aurora wanted to show her how to kiss properly.

Her lips set a gentler rhythm when they met Rita's. Aurora could feel the surprising hesitation Rita felt at her action.

But Aurora did not stop.

"I-If you are going to kiss me, at least make it enjoyable for me. You are fumbling around like a virgin. Here, let me show you how to do this properly." Aurora reversed their positions in a second.

Rita's sudden yelp was like music to Aurora's ears.

'Serves her right. The poor thing thought she could overpower a goddess.' Had Aurora been in her right mind, she would not even have recognized her thoughts.

But the venom in her veins had made Aurora unable to keep her composure.

Aurora moved her hands and finally decided to give Rita a taste of her medicine.

Whatever had aged Rita up had not excluded her breasts. The once-flat teen had turned out to be almost one size smaller than Aurora.

Those boobs were big enough to not fit in Aurora's hands. So Aurora chose to focus on Rita's nipples.

Rita cried out as soon as Aurora's mouth met her skin.

"W-What are you d-doing? I-I was the one who was supposed to" Rita broke her sentence with a moan. She sounded wrecked already.

Aurora continued her assault while also deciding to pay attention to Rita's lower half.

Since Rita had taken the liberty of stripping Aurora of her lower-half clothes, Aurora decided to even out the odds.

"N-No. Don't touch that. I d-don't want you to" Rita cried out.

Embarrassment and humiliation slammed into Aurora. It immediately made her stop her actions and stare at Rita.

"What is your problem? You are the one who started all this. And now you have a problem?" Aurora asked.

Rita's blush and embarrassed aura were the only reason Aurora had not left her alone and decided to take care of herself.

"I-This was not the plan," Rita replied. The younger seemed to be talking to herself.

"What was not the plan?" Aurora questioned.

"I just wanted to show you that we were compatible and for you to think of me as an option. Going this far was never an option. Not while I was cursed anyway. But things escalated and I forgot." Rita sounded frustrated.

Aurora could still feel her arousal. And it fueled Aurora's arousal.

Aurora wanted to be sympathetic toward Rita but her body was not leaving her with this option. It demanded release.

"I don't care. You started this and you will finish this." Aurora's voice was dark. The influence of the divine power shined through her words.

"I-But my curse. You need to know that-" Rita did not get to finish those words.

Aurora's hand moved faster than Rita's mouth and landed on top of her bottom half. And hardness met her hand as a familiar shape made itself known.

"-I have a penis and a pussy. I did not realize that this would happen when I took the power being offered to me." Rita sounded done.

But Aurora did not care for her reasoning.

"I don't care. You started this and you are finishing this." Aurora quickly decided to show Rita that it did not matter to her.

Her hands parted Rita's shorts and brought her hardness out.

The penis was erect and the pussy beneath it was wet. Aurora's fingers made contact with the latter.

Rita went limp. The sensation was too much for the inexperienced female to be able to handle.

And the reaction just spurred Aurora on even further.

"Y-You don't care?" Rita asked. Aurora was not even sure if the younger was conscious when she asked this question.

"Nope. Don't care. You are not the first futa I've been with. It's quite common in the abyss." Aurora was not sure if Rita's aura was disappointed or exhausted.

"O-Oh. Is that so? I guess I was worrying for nothing then" the words came out as a moan. Aurora jerked Rita's penis gently.

When she did not expect was for Rita to release in her hand.

Rita's inexpedience was not able to hold up against Aurora's aggression. And it caused Rita to come.

Aurora tried to pump Rita's limp penis again but nothing happened. Rita looked too exhausted to be able to go again.

"Oi! Is this a joke? Are you going to leave me hanging like this?" Aurora asked. But Rita looked too tired to bother.

She looked on the verge of sleep.

The tired look just made Aurora sigh. She did not have the heart to ask Rita to continue when the other seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Just sleep. I will find a way to take care of myself. We'll talk more once you wake up." Rita tried to speak up but her body finally gave in.

Aurora held her frustration back till Rita fell asleep and then she decided to take care of herself.

Her fingers found her pussy and entered her body. They teased her G-spot and even brought Aurora on the bring of completion.

Aurora's body shook as she came. But it did not help the burning sensation at all. Aurora still felt like she was about to die.

"AVA. Are you there?" the words escaped her mouth almost unconsciously. It was a last-ditch effort to save Rita's life and to make sure her plans worked out.

"Are you humans done with your silly courting rituals yet? I do not wish to see you fuck and-" The voice sounded like Ava.

Aurora tried to move her to hear but she found it too tiresome. The venom was making Aurora too weak.

"You idiot. Why are you like this? You are a goddess and the venom should not have done more than to make you a little horny. Oh god, hand in there." Ava sounded worried.

Aurora felt scales on her face but they soon turned into hands. Someone familiar was holding on to her.

Aurora tried to look up at the face but all she saw was light.

…

Ava cursed as soon as she held Aurora's limp body in her hand.

When she had bit Aurora with her venom, all she wanted to do was to help her out. She had hoped that her venom would act as an aphrodisiac and help smooth the tension over.

But who would have guessed that it would be so potent to the young goddess?

"C-Clove?" the voice was so hesitant and fragile that Ava had to bow down to hear those words.

But she felt a sour taste in her mouth as she heard that name.

"Don't think anything for now. I will help get the poison out." Ava replied as she bend down to press her lips against Aurora's.

The press was soft and light. Ava sucked the venom out but the after-effects could not be neglected.

The main problem was out but it would take time for Aurora's body to calm down.

Ava moved to press another kiss on Aurora's lips but stopped short. She felt danger creeping up behind her back and she instantly blocked the attack.

Rita's eyes met her. The two pairs of eyes clashed with each other.

"What are you? Your energy does not feel like a human but you are not a beast as well." Rita questioned.

Ava could feel the slight struggle her arms felt as they tried to hold the mortal back.

Ava was not using her full power because that would be overkill even in her sealed form. But this human was not one to scoff at either.

Her magic exceeded a regular human. It was closer to a goddess but not one chosen by the abyss.

"I am just a familiar who had a contract with Aurora. But more importantly, who are you? And what did you do with the owner of that body?" Ava asked.

Red eyes narrowed at her words and Aurora's body groaned behind her.

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"Look. I am aware that you do not trust me. But you can tell that I am not lying when I say that I want to help Aurora, right?" Ava asked.

Aurora gave out an audible sound behind her.

"Ava. H-Help me out." Aurora panted softly. Rita's eyes softened just a bit at Aurora's soft actions.

But once they turned toward Ava, they were hard and piercing once again.

"I don't trust an abyss scum like you. But since Aurora is willing to trust you, I won't go against her. However, you do not get to touch her. Tell me what you need me to do." Rita clenched Aurora's arm tighter when she pulled her closer.

Rita did not like the look in the snake's eyes. She looked at Aurora as an investor looking at a profitable investment.

"Alright. Suit yourself. As long as Aurora lives long enough to serve her purpose, I am happy." Ava spoke.

Her light words caused Rita to growl out.

"Ohhh. Be careful puppy. Your fangs are showing." Rita swiped her claws out toward the snake. Unfortunately, Ava dodged her claws.

Rita growled lowly again. This one was filled with warning and Ava finally straightened herself.

"Do not speak nonsense." It was difficult to speak through a mouth full of fangs. But Rita had perfected that art quite a while ago.

"Alright. Seeing as how you have achieved a merge with the abyss's energy, you are perfect for the job. You need to regulate her energy levels by dual cultivating with her." Ava explained.

Rita's face flushed at the news. But her heart skipped a beat at Ava's words.

"I need to what?" Rita asked. She had heard clearly what the snake had said but her mind refused to believe it.

"Dual cultivate with Aurora. The venom in my snags caused her energy to destabilize. I thought it would not work. But I forgot that Aurora still thought of herself as a human. This upset won't kill her but it would be uncomfortable for her." Ava explained.

Rita felt conflicted. But Ava continued her persuasion.

"The main core of this abyss is an energy exchange. It can be used for anything. Your energy can also be used to stabilize Aurora's. And, wasn't this what you wanted? To go all the way with her after Aurora accepts your curse self." Rita almost cursed at those words.

She might not have said anything, but this was her deepest darkest desire. This was what she had always wanted from Aurora.

Especially now. Aurora had accepted her cursed self.

"Are you still now going to take any action? Alright, fine then. Get out of the way and let me handle this. Aurora is my contractor and I can't bear to see her suffer." The snake was spouting bullshit.

Rita could see it in the snake's eyes. That creature held no love or respect for Aurora. There was only greed and desire when she looked at Aurora.

The snake was going to use Aurora.

"No need. Tell me what I need to do and I will take care of things." Rita denied the snake. Her arms caged Aurora tighter from the snake's eyes.

"Alright. If this is what you have decided to do. You know how to have sex right?" Rita's face went from flushed to red.

Her mouth gapped like a goldfish as the snake neared them.

"I-Of course it is that. I know what to do now. You should leave us alone now." Rita spoke.

She was as so embarrassed that it was a miracle she was able to say anything at all.

But the snake did not show any signs of leaving. In fact, Ava sat down on a nearby rock and faced the pair.

"I'm afraid I cannot take that risk. It was not long ago when you were fumbling like a virgin in Aurora's arms. I need to be here in case things derail from the track." Rita gritted her teeth.

She wanted to attack the snake and make her leave. But Aurora had a tight grip on her arms that prevented Rita was moving.

"H-Help me out already. O-Or get out. I w-will find someone to h-help me out." Aurora spoke. Her consciousness seemed to be coming and going out in intervals.

Rita felt trapped. Ava's smug face finally caused Rita to take action.

"I don't care if you watch us. But I will harm you if you bring this up later." Rita warned before she discarded what was left of her clothes.

She could feel the snake's eyes roaming all over her body in appreciation.

"Nice body." Rita held in the urge to gut Ava as the elder whistled in her direction. Rita's only focus was on Aurora in her arms.

The female was clawing away at Rita's arms. Her body was rubbing against Rita's in an attempt to seek relief.

Her pussy was wet from their previous activities. But Rita still needed to stretch her apart.

She chalked the honey-like substance coming out of Aurora's pussy as a side-effect of the venom. Her throat felt parched to have a taste but she held herself back.

Rita's mouth licked Aurora's body but she hesitated once she reached that pussy.

"Don't worry. Go ahead and have a taste. That is not a side-effect of my venom." Rita felt a hand on her head before it was forced down.

Aurora cried out as Rita's tongue made contact with her pussy. The voice echoed inside Rita's mind and made her forget whatever she had been thinking.

Her tongue also decided to make the best of this situation and taste the substance in front of her.

Flavor busted across Rita's tongue as soon as she made contact with the honey-like liquid. There was no way this was a normal substance.

It had an almost sweet taste to it. And it also filled Rita with energy.

"Go ahead. Lick it all off. Get her ready for your cock." Unfamiliar hands slipped down toward Rita's penis.

Rita's half-erect hardness was nowhere ready for a second round. But it started to react once Ava's hands reached toward it.

Something wet was smeared across Rita's cock. It made Rita buckle her hips out in pleasure.

"W-What are you doing? Don't touch me." Rita broke away from Ava's hold with considerable effort. Aurora protested against the loss of friction on her pussy.

"I'm just helping you go at it again. My venom can be used as an aphrodisiac." Ava explained as she held her hands up.

Her hand did have a colorless stain on it. But Rita did not believe her.

She wanted to stand up and confront Ava. But Aurora did not give her a choice in this matter.

"You promised to help. F-Fuck you. If you don't have the guts to fuck me then I will do it myself." In a flash, Rita felt her position being reversed by Aurora.

Aurora had a hand on her pussy, fingering it open. While her other one positioned Rita at her entrance and finally took the final plunge.

Rita's brain went empty at that sensation. It was warm and tight.

It was nothing like she had ever felt before.

"It is fun, right? You feel like you can get addicted to this feeling. To this flow of energy. This is why this tower is so powerful." Ava pointed out.

Rita did not have enough brain power to be able to curse her out. Not when Aurora's insides felt like they would squeeze Rita's essence out.

That tight pussy was too much for Rita to handle in her current state. Her body could not last any longer as it was finally released.

Aurora kept going even after Rita went limp. Aurora's body had released as well but her body had not calmed down.

"AVA. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. FIX THIS." The release had given Aurora just enough presence of mind to demand this.

The binding magic flashed around Ava's neck. The snake's amused expression turned into a solemn one as she neared the pair.

"Sheesh. There is no need to be so demanding. You are a goddess and you should behave like one." Ava scolded.

Aurora detached herself from Rita before she could start moving. She did not want to take advantage of Rita any longer.

Ava's hand moved toward Aurora's pussy and inserted on finger inside Aurora.

"I will help you out this once. Do not make this a habit for me. Unlike humans, I gain no pleasure from this act. I am just a great actor." Ava explained as she fastened her pace.

Aurora felt her stomach clench as the orgasm approached her faster and faster.

And when Aurora finally hit her peak she felt like she had exploded. The pleasure was too great and so was the magic.

"Unfortunately, this act is something a goddess cannot shy away from. Get used to doing it a lot. You will need to build up your resistance until you accept your true identity and overcome my venom." Ava explained as Aurora caught her breath.

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"Ava, why did you do that? You could have caused a huge problem for us." The first thing Aurora did when she felt her mind return to her was ask Ava.

"I told you. It was not my intention to drug you. I was not even aware that my venom could affect a goddess. I just wanted to ease tension between you and your companion." Ava explained.

"And you thought making me horny was the best way to do this?" Aurora questioned.

Ava did not see what the big deal was. Goddesses she had seen before liked to indulge in these acts to increase their powers.

Surely there was no need to make a big deal out of it?

"There was an attraction between you both. I just sped up the process for what would eventually end up happening. Is there a need to make such a big fuss about it?" Ava questioned.

Aurora could see the confusion and stubbornness in Ava's aura. She instantly knew that this conversation was not going to go anywhere.

"Forget it. Just don't do that again without my permission. Also, do we have some water with us?" Aurora asked.

Ava handed her hand out and a familiar screen appeared in front of her,

[Registered user Ava Torkas asking to be granted access to the system. Should the system register the individual as a user?]

How the snake learned about Aurora's system, she was not even going to ask. Aurora just pressed accept and granted Ava access.

The flash instantly appeared in Ava's hand.

"Wicked. Is this some kind of human technology? It feels like magic but I've never seen magic be used in this way before. It is even tugging at my magic." Ava sounded in awe.

But Aurora felt no joy in being praised by the snake. Her head was spinning just thinking about the kinks she would have to straighten out.

"Rita, time to wake up. Have some water as well." Aurora shook the younger, yet taller body lying at her side.

Rita looked exhausted when she pushed her body into a sitting position and took the offered flash. Aurora could see that Rita had not woken up yet.

"Sip slowly. You don't want to lose Aurora's taste just yet." Ava teased and Rita choked o the water.

"AVA!" Aurora's voice sounded snapping. The goddess's hands rubbed along Rita's back to ease her out of the coughing.

"I-I am alright. That beast's words just took me by surprise." Rita assured. Her glare was anything but friendly when she looked at Ava.

Aurora did not buy the innocent look Ava was trying to give her.

"Don't mind her. It is all Ava's fault for my condition earlier and I even ended up dragging you in that mess. Do you want me to take responsibility for my actions?" Aurora offered.

The goddess part of Aurora protested against the idea. It did not want to bow down to anyone.

Least of all a human who held no noticeable power in her hand.

"I-Excuse me? There is no need for you to take responsibility. I was the one who instigated our encounter. I also agreed to it all. It is as much my fault as it is yours." Rita argues.

Aurora did not agree but she could feel the fight in Rita. Any protest she made was going to be countered by Rita.

"So you don't want to be with me?" Aurora knew she was playing dirty. Rita's pinched face told her that much.

"Of course, I want to be with you. But not like this. I want you to give me a chance because you like me back and see me as an adult. But I can see it in your eyes that you are still conflicted about me." Rita was not wrong.

As much as she felt and looked like her adult self, Aurora was having a hard time differentiating herself from her teen self.

"So, what do you want to do now? Humans are so confusing. You should just forget your feelings and live for the moment like us beasts. I know. I can drug you both again so that you can solve your sexual tension." The pair ignored Ava's words which caused the snake to pout.

But Aurora could feel the snake's true feelings. This was all an act to hide her curiosity over this situation.

"No need. I want to court Aurora properly as an adult. I will make you see me as an adult and then make you mine. I just want the opportunity to be able to do that. I want to stay by your side." Rita was on the verge of pleasing.

Aurora knew she should not accept.

She should not accept and lead Rita on. There was no place in Aurora's heart for anyone except Clove.

Aurora knew that much. She did.

"Alright. You can try if you want to. I won't stop you." But her mouth still ended up saying something else.

Rita looked relieved so Aurora did not feel bad about her decision.

"That's fine. So, when are we going to leave this place?" Rita asked. The younger did not look at Aurora when she asked that question.

"Soon. We are just waiting for one more person to join us." Aurora explained.

Rita did not loom surprised at Aurora's answer. But Ava did look curious enough to ask. Aurora waited for her question.

But a familiar presence stopped her thoughts short.

"I can sense someone powerful heading out way. Should I make them stop?" Ava asked. The snake stood up as she faced the direction the intruder was walking in from.

But Aurora let out a small relieved laugh as she waved her hand.

"No need. She is here because I offered her a place in my academy. There is no need for you to get violent on my behalf." Aurora stopped Ava before she could strike.

The overlooker instantly calmed down. But her curious aura continued to poke Aurora.

"Am I unwelcome here now? Did I take too much time making this decision?" Astoria sounded hesitant. She stood outside the cave with her spear held at ready.

The confidence she had shown in the fight before was nowhere to be seen. But Aurora did not feel disappointed.

And how could she be when she had already been acquainted with Astoria's shy self beforehand.

"Nah. You're here in time. You are free to join us." Rita offered. The girl seemed to have calmed down a lot after her growth.

"You are-? But how did you grow up this fast? What happened to your group? And why do you have an overlooker with you?" Astoria asked.

Aurora's raised hand fell at that question. There was no point In hiding who Ava was now.

But surprisingly enough, Rita did not jump to questioning immediately. She just stared down Ava with a questioning glare.

"Rita underwent the first-floor trail and came out like this. As for Ava? We have a contract we cannot reveal anything about. Is it going to be a problem?" Aurora spoke.

She ignored Rita's 'It makes so much sense now and focused on Astoria.

"I see. No, it is not going to be a problem. It will be my pleasure to be working with you in your academy." Astoria replied.

Aurora frowned. Astoria had agreed but her aura still had an uncomfortable feeling to it.

"What is it?" Aurora asked. She hoped that whatever Astoria was about to say would not cause any problem.

"I agree to be a teacher at your academy but I cannot head there right away. I need to retrieve something from the Abyss Tower first." Astoria sounded distressed.

"Retrieve something?" Aurora asked.

She was not sure why, but her brain reminded her about important events that happened around this time.

"Yes. It is of the uttermost importance that I retrieve that item. So I cannot join you right now." Astoria sounded sorry.

And Aurora knew what she had to do.

"Rita, Ava. Can you both do me a favor?" the pair nodded with suspicious eyes.

"Return to the Rocx valley without me and take care of it until I return. I will help Astoria finish her business and join you shortly." Aurora assured.

"You can't be serious!" Rita cried out. As Aurora had expected, Rita was going to be a problem.

But Aurora also knew how to handle her.

"I-NO. Don't look at me with those eyes. You know I am weak for them. Alright, fine. I will listen to you this time." Aurora knew it was wrong of her to use Rita's feelings for her gain.

But she did so anyway.

Ava's stare was emotionless but the snake did not argue with her. Aurora was sure that the outlooker could sense Astoria's desperation as well.

"Don't take too long. I won't wait around for you forever. You might be favored now but the abyss is fickle." Ava warned and Aurora took that warning to heart.

She was not planning to fuck things up with her plan.

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"They're gone now. You are free to discuss the dragon egg with." Aurora informed Astoria as she took a seat.

"I-What? How do you know about that? I m-mean, you are wrong about it being a dragon egg." Astoria sounded flushed as she tried to shush Aurora. Aurora found her attempt quite amusing.

But it did not matter in the end.

Even if Astoria had managed to lie successfully, her nervousness would have given her away.

"There is no point in hiding that egg. I already know about it. So why don't we discuss the reason you want to go after it now." Aurora questioned.

She did remember something about a dragon egg being stolen in the previous timeline. But neither she nor Clove had been part of the retrieval team.

In the end, the egg had disappeared for a long time. It had never been seen since then.

Aurora was sure that the egg had never hatched at all in her previous lifetime. And now she knew where the egg had disappeared to.

"You are right. That egg belongs to my father's hoard. As you are well aware that I am not a full goddess but a mix between a beast and a goddess. To sate my curiosity, I tried looking for the beast that had donated its DNA for my birth-"

"-But that beast had already been killed off by the tower. It is something the tower does to hide their trails." The news did not surprise Aurora.

She might have never seen a dragon but she did know the general characteristics of one. And Astoria's eyes were something she had inherited from her father.

"Yes. I wanted to retrieve that egg since it's the only one that was left in the next when they killed my father. You can still back out now." Astoria's hesitation to stop at 'father' was understandable.

So was her attempt to make Aurora back off.

But really, there was no need for Astoria to go that far.

"Nah. I'll help you out. Mainly because I also have I want to retrieve from the tower. It is an elixir of life. Only the god of wine knew how to make it." Aurora revealed.

She had not wanted to go after the Elixir of life on her own. It was not something she needed urgently. All she needed was its location.

That was the bait she had laid out for Rex. Her sworn brother was the one who needed that potion to cure his lover.

"Elixir of life? But there is only a limited amount of it left in the tower. It will be under as much security as the dragon egg will be. It is suicidal to try this." Astoria replied.

She sounded hesitant and her aura looked oily. That aura belonged to a dead man walking.

"It may be suicidal but I have confidence in my success. However, it looks like you are not taking it seriously at all. You have no intention of coming back alive." Aurora pointed out.

Astoria's soulless chuckle was her answer.

"I know. But I have to try this. This is the only opportunity I have left. I did not initially want to go after that egg because I had no one on my side. But I know you'll look after that egg for me." Astoria sounded confident.

Aurora was not sure if the elder believed in Aurora's character. Or her greed for power.

After all, having a dragon on your side was a gigantic advantage one could have.

"Look after the egg yourself. Just to be clear, I am helping you out because I want your skills. I could care less about an egg that might not even hatch in the future. So make yourself a priority or I will sacrifice the egg in exchange for your life." Aurora snapped.

The goddess part of her raged at Astoria's audacity. How dare the half-ling question Aurora's powers.

At least the stunned and hopeful aura Astoria was letting out satisfied Aurora's temper.

"I understand. I will try not to die." The oily black aura was still around Astoria but it was considerably less dense.

This was not a victory but it was not a loss either. Aurora decided to take it for what it was.

"Now that we have this figured out, tell me what you have planned this far? I am curious about our next move." With the immediate danger out of t way, Aurora was happy to divert the leadership.

Mainly because she did not want to spend brainpower thinking over the tower matter. Doing so would leave a sour taste in Aurora's mouth.

"Very well. I guess it won't hurt to share why I decided to take this risk now. It is because of the cabinet meeting. As you know, the goddess that makes up the tower council does not like to mingle together. They like their freedom and territory too much to allow coexistence." Astoria spoke.

Aurora nodded along with it.

"Of course. Too much power in one place leads to conflicts in authority. So the cabinet meeting happens only once a year." Aurora concluded.

So it was this time of the year already?

"Yes. And it would be the perfect opportunity for us to sneak in and steal the egg. Their security might look tight on the outside but they are too divided on the inside. It is the perfect opportunity for us to get away with this act." Astoria had it all planned.

Aurora liked her thinking pattern.

Having seen how the cabinet meeting operated, Aurora knew that this was a perfect opportunity to act.

After all, only a fool with a death wish would attack the cabinet meeting which hosted the gods and goddesses.

"I agree So, when is the cabinet meeting?" Aurora asked.

"It's the day after tomorrow. People have already started to gather. I have an invite but we will need to do something about you." Aurora was not liking the look in Astoria's eyes.

That kind of manic light did not bode well for anyone.

"I don't like the look in your eyes. You are planning evil things with me. No, I don't agree." Aurora tried to resist but she caved in once Astoria explained the plan.

…………..

"Welcome lady Astoria. Is the man behind you your escort?" the guard asked as Astoria made her way inside the gate.

"Yes. He will be staying in the same wing as me. Inform my mother that I am here already. And also, someone gets him settled in. Do not try and take liberties with him." Astoria's voice was solid.

It sounded nothing like the timid goddess Aurora had met.

And Aurora would have applauded her for her superb acting skill if she was not feeling so put out by her current situation.

She passed a gentle smile to the disappointed female guards looking her way.

"Young master. Kindly follow along with me. I will show you to your quarters." The guard bowed toward Aurora's disguise.

Had it not been for her clothes concealing her chest and some hefty magic-making Aurora look almost flat, the guy would have gotten a good view of her cleavage.

"Aura, make sure you take care of yourself. Do not allow anyone to bully you. And get me if you get in trouble. I will get you out." Astoria's hand cupped Aurora's face.

Aura was the name they had agreed upon for Aurora's disguise. It was close enough to not confuse the pair and distinct enough for her to not be recognized.

"I promise to ask for your help if I need it Mistress Astoria." The words left a sour taste on Aurora's tongue.

But she swallowed her discomfort and spoke clearly.

Several female guards swooned at the side at her display. They did not have anything better than to hang around back here.

Even the male guard seemed to be blushing to look at the 'fake' display of affection in front of him.

He finally coughed to divert everyone's attention away from the 'sweet' scene in front of him.

"Young master, this way if you will." The guard pointed. His sharp glare made it clear that he expected Aurora to follow behind him.

If not for the redness of his face, Aurora would have believed that the guard had not been affected by the display she and Astoria had put up.

"Go. Get yourself settled in and then find me. We will continue where we left off then." Astoria spoke gently as leaned closer to her ears.

"They keep the egg in the east documentary. Try getting closer" Astoria finally let Aurora's face go and the elder walked away.

Aurora felt the eyes of the female guards eying her 'pretty boy' getup and she quickly urged the guard to hurry up.

She had never thought that a female gaze could make her uncomfortable. But the ones around her were proving her to be wrong.

And Aurora almost broke out in a shiver as she heard the 'it's pity he's taken. His face is my type'. Girls could be crazy when they wanted to be.

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As soon as Aurora reached the room, she bolted the door shut with as much force as she could.

The feeling of oppressive eyes of the female guard checking her out was among Aurora's most oppressive feelings Aurora had felt.

She was far from shy in her real body. But the fear of being discovered by a guard in her current attire terrified the goddess.

'Must be all the heavy aura filling the tower. Those gods and goddesses are not even trying to hide their powers." In other words, they were too proud to hide.

Aurora decided to stay in the room for an hour before deciding to explore again. The main reason behind this was to give the female guards time.

Time to get over Aurora and provide her with a window to leave.

Aurora did not want to invoke her potential trump card just yet.

"Here goes nothing." Aurora opened the door and forced a loud yelp down. Her face was too close to an eager Maid girl standing on the other side of the door.

"Y-You surprised me." Aurora tried to calm down her beating heart.

The face that she had not sensed the Maid girl coming meant that the girl had stood in front of the door for quite some time.

"I'm sorry for the scare master. I was sent here to make sure you have everything you needed. Are you in need of an intimate service?" Aurora paled.

The Maid girl was not even trying to hide her interest and intention from Aurora.

Any passerby could hear those words and make out a hundred different meanings from those words.

"N-No. There is no need for that." Aurora declined.

It was partly shock and partly horror that made her decisions slower than usual.

"Awww master. There is no need to be shy. Why don't you allow me in and I can tell you all about the services we provide our guests with." The female was too close to Aurora's personal space.

Aurora's brain noticed a few details.

The female was dressed from head to toe in a loose dress. It left nothing to be exposed to her body.

Then there was that face. It was lovely to look at. But something about it irked Aurora. To her, it lacked the natural gentleness a female's face had.

Or maybe it was just Aurora who felt like that. Maybe she was making things up.

But she swore that the Maid had a swelling in her throat.

"Don't be a shy master. Let me do what I here to do." The Maid extended her hand toward Aurora's chest.

And Aurora failed to stop her in her panic.

The Maid's hand touched Aurora's chest and squeezed.

Maria watched as the maid gave her a flat look of disbelief and Aurora reacted on instinct.

"Sorry. It is your fault." Aurora panicked before she slammed her magic-bound fist on top of the maid's head.

The female collapsed in her arms.

Aurora immediately dragged the female toward the central garden. It was just a corridor away and the way was empty.

Aurora carefully placed the maid's unconscious body on the bench and quickly left her there.

And as soon as she left, the maid opened her eyes and rubbed her head.

"What the hell? She could have told me that she did not swing that way. She could have also told me about this plan before she executed it. That punch hurt." The maid complained.

But then the maid pulled her shirt up. Her flat torso felt the cool breeze of the garden.

"Prince Karan, please stop disappearing on us. We have no idea what to tell the council and Lady Minerva when you pull such stunts." The guard hissed.

The 'maid' could see irritation flash in the guard's eyes.

"So, what did those boring hyenas want? I bet it was to scold me. I don't want to go." Karan moaned.

"My prince, do not be stubborn. They are old gods and demand respect. And you should dress accordingly as well. Your subjects had prepared your clothes." The guard scolded.

Karan rolled his eyes as the guard continued.

"I will dress like how I want to. My 'subjects' do not get to decide for me. And you should also remember your place." Karan's voice was soft.

But the magic in his voice left the guard breathless.

Karan's magic was too oppressive. The guard looked like he would faint any second. But Karan reeled his magic in before things could come to that.

"Let's go and meet those old coots. And next time, do not question my decisions." Karan patted the guard's white cheeks as he walked away.

"Oh, and do me a favor and keep quiet. I will know if you open your mouth. And the consequences of tattling will not be pleasant." The guard almost wet himself at the gentle smile.

It felt like a devil was eying him.

……..

'Fuck, shit, hell. I need to find Astoria and let her know what happened." Aurora panicked.

She tried not to run through the hallway in her hurry but her steps still showed her anxiety.

The action of various female guards eying Aurora in interest did not help her calm down.

"Mister, you cannot head that way. You do not have the permission required to" Aurora flashed his permission Plaque toward the guard.

The stunned guard could not stop Aurora in time.

By the time the guard pulled himself together, Aurora was long gone from the corridor.

"What should we do? Do we issue an order to drag him out?" the guard questioned his partner on duty.

"We better let this matter go. Look, that plaque belongs to Lady Astoria. She has never brought a 1 to these events before. I don't want any trouble with her." The guard sighed before agreeing.

Lady Astoria was close with Lady Minerva. And no one wanted to be on the bad side of Lady Minerva.

"And also. That guy is incredibly beautiful. It would be a shame if something happened to that face." The guard watched god-smacked as his partner commented with a red face.

"Y-Y-YOU! Don't tell me you swung that way, right? Not that I have a problem with it but it would make things weird for me if you do." The guard begged.

Only to be met with a deadpan face.

"Don't flatter yourself." The guard breathed easier once he heard that.

"Good." The guard replied.

"What is good? Why don't you share it with me?" the guard paled again. His partner stiffened at that voice.

Their commanding officer rarely made his rounds during their shifts. It must be their bad luck that made the commander choose their route to supervise.

"C-COMMANDER B-BECK? NOTHING IS WRONG SIR." The guard cried as the elderly guard made his way toward the guard.

"Oh. And what about the young man who gave you the slip?" Commander Beck questioned.

The guards broke out in a sweat at the question. Luckily, his partner spoke up.

"U-Uh, he's Lady Astoria's attendant. His plaque had unrestricted entry permission. Uh, sir." The guard bowed.

"Lady Astoria? Then we should let things be for now. You go back to your post." The commander replied ordering.

The guards did not notice the curious glance their commander gave toward the corridor behind them.

But ultimately, he chose not to pursue his curiosity. Work was calling his name.

……..

Aurora did not realize when she stopped walking. What she did know was that she no longer recognized where she was.

Aurora had not wanted to take such actions but things had just happened.

But since things had happened like this, Aurora resolved herself to sneak around and take a look at things.

The hallways blend into each other. They did not allow one to even guess where they were.

In other words, the white walls made it extremely easy for one to get lost.

But Aurora did not give up. She used this opportunity to map the area as far as she could. And for the first time, she felt glad for the inflated ego of the gods.

Somehow Aurora managed to avoid the other divine beings and land herself back in a familiar hallway. (only because she had marked Astoria's aura and followed it.)

"-and make sure the preparations are complete in time. I will not allow any delay to occur-" Astoria's familiar voice reached Aurora just in time for the goddess to spot her.

And she was not the only one to turn her way.

"Intruder. Hurry and seize him at once." The security guard ordered.

But Astoria waved her hand and stepped forward.

All eyes moved toward the goddess who took charge. Disbelief filled the room when the half-goddess cupped the unfamiliar but ethereal guy's face.

"You are finally here. Everyone, I shall be taking my leave now." Astoria stopped her work short as she linked her arms with Aurora's.

No one could stop Astoria from leaving. They were too busy wallowing in shock.

And the present divine beings only shook their head in a 'knew it' way.

"She's finally coming into her beast half's influence. Dragons were always willful creatures. Possessive of their own. Won't you agree, Karan?" the black-haired god looked toward his companion with an innocent smile.

"And why should I know anything about it? For all we know, Astoria might finally be in love." The god smiled back at Karan's jab but he did not reply.

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"Falling in love? That half-breed. Don't joke about that. Beasts like you and her do not know what love is. All you know is the feeling of obsession." Everyone held their breath as the long-haired God blinked.

And then he smiled the most vicious smile before separating the other god's head from his body.

"Now, now. Be careful about what you say to me, old man Zenith. You might just lose your head for real." The elder God gulped as his head was handed back to his body.

Karan had left the elder god with no face to save. And even the mortal people in the room could see that.

"So what they say is true.", " All gods are not born equal.", "I heard that gods can die as well. Maybe Karan will finally get fed up enough to end the old master for us."

The more gossip they reached Zenith's ears, the more he raged about it.

"Stop speaking nonsense. Go back to your work if you have nothing else to do." Zenith's harsh words caused people to disperse.

But the stiffened laughter did not go away. His humiliation had been burned in the people's memories.

"Don't be too harsh on them. They are mere mortals and don't know what they are doing." Karen learned to whisper his next words in Zenith's ears.

"But they are right. Gods can be killed. And they are not born equal. Don't forget your place again." Karen walked away.

The God he had left behind seethed at his retreating back.

"Fuck that bastard. Who does he think he is? He's just a young God fortunate enough to not be overshadowed by anyone else. He's not any more special than me." But no one consoles the beaten God.

Even Karan did not dignify him with a back glance.

………

Aurora collapsed as soon as she reached her room.

"Are you alright? Are the anti-magic wards causing you trouble?" Aurora's collapse caused Astoria's facade to fall along with it.

The confidence in the elder's face melted into an expression of worry and guilt.

"No. I didn't even notice the anti-magic wards so they're not the problem. The day just took its toll on me." Aurora calmed the goddess down.

"I-Is that so? Then what is wrong? Is it about my actions? Should I not have declared my relationship with you?" Astoria panicked.

And since Astoria panicked, Aurora felt panic rise inside ever as well.

"Nico. That's not the problem. I don't care about that stuff. Besides, we have an even more serious problem. Someone might have found out the truth about me." Aurora explained calmly.

Her voice might be shaking and breaking, but Aurora was as calm as she could be.

"Someone did what? But it should not be possible. My glamour should have protected you. Oh no! Did it fail? Is it my fault? D-Don't worry. We can still fix this. All we need to do is to find that person and kill them." Astoria looked determined.

But Aurora was not sure if it was even possible to do that. She had not spotted the maid while traveling through the garden.

And she had left the maid in an open spot as well.

"So, who was it? Who is the one we have to silence?" Was it Aurora's imagination, or did Astoria look a little trigger happy at the prospect of offing someone?

"I don't know. All I know is that she was a pretty bold maid. Walked right up to me and harassed me. I knocked her out and left her in the garden." Aurora recalled as much detail as she could.

But now that she thought back at it, there was nothing to distinguish the maid. No way to tell which fraction she belonged to.

"A maid? Don't you mean a guard? No one except the guards and a guest's companions was allowed in this wing. For a maid to be able to enter here is impossible." Austria sounded conflicted when she spoke.

"I think she was a maid. She did say she was there to 'serve' me. But I could be mistaken. There was just something about her face I cannot pinpoint right now." Astoria looked deep in thought.

Aurora's words might have given her room to think over this topic.

"If you're confident about it then I will believe you. Besides, if a maid managed to slip into this section then it is not secure. I will bring it up, Minerva when I meet up with her. We should try to sleep for now." Austria did not sound like she had given up.

"I guess it is the best thing to do for now. Creating a fuzz would alert the maid that we are on to her. Besides, if she hasn't told anyone about it yet means that she is biding her time." Aurora concluded.

Talking this topic over did not solve it for her. But it did make sleeping easier for her.

The thought of being found out didn't even invade her mind again until Astoria brought it up again.

"Be careful today. Most gods won't interfere in the tower's problem, but we can not make enemies with them. Keep a low profile and try sniffing that made out." Austria advised.

Aurora felt like she was being jabbed at when Astoria spoke to her.

"I got it. You should leave now before they send guards to collect you." Aurora escorted Astoria to the hallway exit. The lair walked hand-in-hand.

The guards stationed around the hallway pretended not to see them. No one wanted to incur the wrath of gentle Lady Astoria.

Aurora stopped before she left the hallway and Astoria turned around to face her.

The embrace was surprising and expected at the same time. Aurora forced her yelp down as soon as she felt arms around her frame.

"Be careful. Don't try to contact me until I give you the go. And check out the left wing of the third floor. Minerva hinted that we should not go there." Astoria felt her head swim as she was let go.

But the curious auras around her and the feeling of eyes on her back helped her straighten her act out.

"Of course. I'll be careful. I'll miss you as well so come back soon." Aurora waved her hand with fake regret.

Astoria followed along with a sad smile. Things could not be going more perfect.

"Master Aura, I shall escort you back. Although you have permission to roam around, it would be for the best if you stayed in your room for now." The guard warned.

The guard looked pale as he glanced around.

Aurora's curiosity peaked and she also glanced in the direction the guard was looking. And she instantly felt regret swell inside her heart.

A female guard was eying Aurora. And from the uniform, she looked to be of a high rank as well.

Her aura did nothing to hide her intention from Aurora.

"I understand." Aurora agreed. The guard was a good man and wanted to help Aurora out.

Unfortunately for him, the female guard decided she had enough of his disobedience.

"Why don't you allow me to accompany the young Master to his room? He's Lady Astoria's previous lover and extremely important. I cannot leave his security to a lowly guard such as you." The female guard spoke.

Aurora could see the struggle in that guard's eyes. He wanted to help Aurora out but he could not go against his senior officer.

His expression told Aurora that he knew his senior officer's harmful intentions. But his hands were bound.

Aurora never claimed to be a good person. Heck, she was not even. a decent person by any means.

But she decided to cut this guard some slack for his predicament. He had done a good job in alerting Aurora.

"I understand. I would take you up on your offer then." That distributing smile on the female guard's face widened.

Aurora was sure she was going to break her face if she did not stop her creepy actions.

"Then, this way please." The guard gestured toward the opposite corridor Aurora needed to go.

She was sure her intentions were less than pure. But she could not reject the female guard right after agreeing to go with her.

There was no other choice but to solve this problem in private. Maybe even use magic this time to ensure her secret.

But Aurora did not get to a single step before she felt an arm being drafted around her shoulder.

The hallway fell silent and everyone looked pale.

"I'm afraid this young man has a previous appointment with me. You all should leave us alone now." The owner of that arm spoke.

The voice sounded soft and pleasant to Aurora's ear. It also sounded familiar but that was not what made everyone tense.

No.

The real reason everyone tensed was because of the high amount of magical presence being emitted by that arm owner. It is heavy and choking.

And it belonged to a powerful God.

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"M-My lord? Ah, I mean, Lord Karan. Shouldn't you be in the meeting? Lady Astoria just left for it. I can take her guest to his room." The female guard tried to reason.

Her words sounded reasonable. But unfortunately for her, she was barking up the wrong tree.

Her body refused to cooperate once the good locked his terrifying stare on her face. It was a gentle smile that was aimed at her but she still felt like an animal being caught by a predator.

"The meeting? You're right. There is still that meeting but I don't want to go. Why don't you go and deliver my message to that old hag Minerva? Tell that old hag word for word – I am not coming and that old hag cannot make me." The God behind Aurora spoke calmly.

But the female guard went from pale to ashes.

"I can't do that. I-I'll be killed. P-Please my lord, have mercy on me." As much as the female guard has irritated Aurora, her fear felt genuine.

Feeling her fear was going to make Aurora sick.

"Hmmm. I don't want to. But I'm in a forgiving mood now. You are free to go." The long-haired god waved his hand as he dragged Aurora after him.

There was going to be gossip for sure. Aurora could already hear the words 'cheat' and 'two-timer' flowing around.

But as much as those words irked her, she could not ask to stop. They were still in front of prying eyes.

Thankfully, the god decided to look for a secure place to talk. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief once she felt the door close behind her.

"So, we meet once again." Her relief vanished at the god's voice.

Aurora had been too relieved to be out of the public eye that she had forgotten the real source of danger.

"What do you want? I assure you that I cannot help you with anything regarding Astoria. We might look close but are not. Taking me hostage will also not help you in any way. It would be best for you to let me go." Aurora reasoned.

This was the moment of truth. Now she would know what the god needed from her.

"Huh? Who cares about her? I just wanted to talk to you again. But I have to say that I never took for a cross-dressing type of girl. And also, aren't you looking to be too old for your age? Shouldn't you be 13-14 for now? What do those resist" the guy never finished his words?

Aurora moved on instinct and slapped her hand in the god's face.

"Hey, what's the big deal? No one is going to eavesdrop on us here. You can say what you want to." The god must be playing with Aurora.

Even though his aura did not give off a being of deception, Aurora refused to let her guard down.

"Don't look at me like that? Don't you recognize me from before? And we were so close to each other as well." The god fake-cried.

Something about his face and his hair reminded Aurora of the maid she had seen the day before.

But surely that was not possible? Aurora had to be mistaken!

"Y-You were the one in front of my door yesterday? The one who offered to 'service' me? What do you want with me?" Aurora questioned.

But more than that, she panicked.

"Hey, calm down girl. I swear you used to be more level-headed. This has to be Rex's influence. I told you that dumb shit would corrupt you one day. Hey, watch the hair. Don't pull at them." The god cried.

And Aurora instantly let him go with a shocked face.

She must be resembling a goldfish but Aurora had no way to confirm that.

"How are you doing that? Can you read my memories? Or did someone already tip you off about me?" Aurora felt her heart skip a beat.

This was bad. This was really really bad.

Even if the god did not look like he had a melodious purpose, his existence alone made Aurora's life difficult.

And the worst thing was, Aurora was not even sure if she could kill that god at her current power. She was more likely to be killed in this scenario.

"Read memories? Who wants that ass power. But maybe you need it because of your poor memory? Am I really that forgetful to you? You used to call me sister along with Rex a long time ago. And by that, I meant 10-11 years ago. Our grandparents were friends. Do you remember now?" The god continued.

Aurora was not sure if the god was mistaken or had simply lost his mind.

But his tone sounded fond and his aura shined brighter when he brought up Rex's name. There had only been one person who shined this brightly when talking to her sworn brother.

But that person was currently lying in a deep coma. Aurora had personally seen the body suspended inside a crystal. And Rex had sworn to bring that person back to life.

"Still nothing? It Lucy. L.U.C.Y. And to think we used to be such great friends." The male made a dramatic fainting pose.

Disbelief filled Aurora's mind as she tried to connect the sweet but strong female from her childhood with this femboy in front of her.

Her brain could just not compute the outcome.

"H-Hey! Don't faint on me now. I'm not joking around with you. Ask me anything and I can answer you." Aurora almost collapsed. But thankfully her sister (brother?) caught Aurora.

What were the chances of this happening?

"Let me sit around for a while. This is a little too much to take in for me. To think I came here to get the Elixir of life for you." Feelings of hope and disbelief clashed inside Aurora's heart.

She was sure she had been over this feeling in her previous life. Lucy was someone she had let go of, even if Rex had not.

"Really? So you wanted to wake me up? But I kind of like my new body, even if it happens to be a male one. It is strong and had tons of magic. The only downside is the irritating voice in my head that makes me act unlike myself sometimes. I'm sure that old lady Minerva called them as instincts of a god or something." The god, no, Lucy complained.

Her carefree attitude chased the doubts from Aurora's mind.

"Lucy-", "Call me Karan for now.", "-Alright, Karan. So, what are you planning to do next? Why did you chase me? And how did you recognize me in the first place?" Aurora questioned.

She had so much she wanted to ask. But Aurora could not gather her thoughts to sort them out.

"Of course I recognized you. You are a part of my horde. Both you and Rex are mine. But not in a romantic sense, you know? Anyway, it is hard to explain but I want to help you out?" was that a question or an answer to Aurora?

The god looked back at Aurora with a hopeful expression.

"Alright. I believe you and understand you as well. Do you say you want to help me out? Then help me out just this once." This was a bargain.

Even though Aurora had said that she believed in Karan, she was not going to be foolish enough to not take precautions.

"Sure I will help you out." The god agreed.

Aurora had only one shot. The next few seconds would decide her future for her.

"If you really are Lucy, you would have no complaints in making a vow with me-" the male made a repulsed face at her words which offended Aurora, but she continues, "-and submit your power under my control for some time."

Aurora knew her limit. And there was no way for her to be able to suppress the god's magic for a long time.

It might have been possible in the abyss. But not outside of it.

"How long does this 'some time' last? I am not staying defenseless for a week." The god replied.

"Not that long. Just until this cabinet meeting is over should do. And you won't be defenseless against others, just against me. Your magic will become unable to harm me for the duration of the agreement." Aurora clarified.

She could tell that the god believed her. Her aura gave Aurora's truth away.

"Alright. But how do we make this contract? Just so you know, I am not doing any 'lovey-dovey stuff with you. Don't even think about kissing me." Karan sounded serious.

"Of course not. You are a male and I am not attracted to your species (hey, we're the same species). Hold my hand and I'll start taking care of the rest." Karan shrugged but did as Aurora had asked.

His hand in Aurora's hand felt heavier than Aurora remembered ever holding. But his body received her magic and the seal formed.

(Temporary contract formed. Creator Aurora will remain unaffected by target Karan Lovis's magic)

Aurora felt exhaustion creep up over her but also satisfaction. Finally, something went right for once.

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"Stop looking at me like that," Aurora complain.

"Stop looking at you like what?" Karan replied. That teasing smile on this face grew in volume.

"Stop with your creepy smile. Don't you have work to do? Won't someone come looking for you if you disappeared for so long?" Aurora questioned.

Rumors only needed a short time to begin circulation in a sealed environment. She was sure that everyone in the tower knew about her and Karan.

Thankfully, nothing major would result from this rumor since Aurora's current disguise was male.

And if Karan decided to return this early, the lingering doubt about something happening would also be crossed out from most people's minds.

"Work? Not really. But I can see that you need time to think on your own. Once you're done thinking, you can contact me by unwrapping this ribbon from your wrist. I will help you out." Karan took her hand and tied a green ribbon on her wrist.

The ribbon had a magical aura surrounding it. Aurora chose to accept it.

"Then, I'll be off. Don't miss me too much. And don't ruin the surprise for Rex, alright?" the god finally left.

Aurora felt a sigh of relief fill her lung once she saw the god leave.

This simple mission of 'in-and-out' had turned into a complicated mess. And Aurora had a feeling that things were going to get even harsher from this point onwards.

"System, can you locate where I am?" Aurora had not gotten a good look at where she was being dragged toward.

Aurora knew the tower inside out. She had lived here long enough in her past life to be able to navigate it properly.

Or so Aurora had thought.

But Aurora had never been to this restricted part of the tower before. She had been an adventurer and had kept clear of the godly affairs.

As such, she was not permitted into these parts and was now paying the price.

(System is scanning surrounds.

Error: map not found. Should the system start the mapping process?)

It was just Aurora's luck to end up in such a place.

According to her programming, her system could map the basic areas of places she had been to before.

If her system had no data on this place, it could only be because she had never been here before.

"Great. Now, what should I do? Am I even allowed to be here?" Speaking aloud at this point did not change things.

Neither did questioning herself.

The lack of sound penetrating her hidden space also made Aurora vary. She quickly opened the door to peek outside.

As she had expected, the hallway in front of her was empty. But echoes of footsteps still reached her ears.

Aurora quickly shut the door after her. She just left it open enough to allow sound inside.

"-orders from Lord Baron. Guards at the meeting said that Lord Karan arrived there alone. He won't be able to get away in time to stop us." The guard spoke.

It was Aurora's lucky break that the guard decided to stop in front of her door while discussing these things.

"But are you sure? He was brought here by Lady Astoria. Won't she be angry? She made it pretty clear that she cares about that human male." The other guard spoke.

He sounded scared of Astoria's temper.

"Don't be fooled. Lady Astoria is just playing around. A human is beneath her status as a goddess. Besides, we are doing it for her. This way, Lady Astoria can finally romantically see Lord Baron." The first guard spoke.

Aurora reached a horrible realization. These guards were talking about her and Astoria. And if she was right, they were talking about finding her to kill her.

"I don't see what killing Lady Astoria's escort has to do with her liking Lord Baron. But I will have to agree with you about killing that escort. He doesn't strike me as a good man. He's too delicate and pretty." Those words stabbed Aurora in the chest.

It might not have been her idea to dress up as a male. But it was still her body they were insulting.

Aurora took deep breaths in to calm her inner goddess down. This was also the time the third pair of footsteps arrived in the hallway.

(Warning: System users 04- Alexander Beck detected.

A warning will be issued to the user due to the proximity breach)

Aurora tried to stop her system from sending the warning but she was too late. The system must have informed that guard of Aurora's positioning.

Why had she added the proximity check? When had she added it? She did not remember.

(The creator did not add a proximity check. The system AI decided to upgrade and add the feature as a security enhancement.

Proximity check can be deactivated by clicking-)

Aurora closed her system screen in favor of listening to Alexander speak. She needed to be aware in case she was found out.

"What are you both doing here? You do not have the clearance to be on this floor." Alexander sounded exhausted.

It had approximately been five days since Aurora had last seen the guard but he looked like he had been through hell and back.

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it? You are nothing but daddy's little boy. Depended on him for everything. But I also heard something. They say that your daddy abandoned you when you fell in debt." The guard taunted.

Aurora did not like the guard's tone but she also chose not to step in.

It was not her fight.

She expected the guard to get angry. But the anger never came.

"Yes, that all happened. So what? At least I am not trespassing in this area. I was assigned here by my father. Now leave before I report you both." Aurora felt bad for the tired guard.

But that feeling did not last long.

"You can come out now. There is no use hiding from me since your 'system' already gave itself away." Aurora did not try to pretend like she was not there.

Her system had betrayed her already.

She quickly stepped outside and stared the guard down. Her residual magic kept a check on the system and made sure the guard had no surprises for her.

"So it way you? I guess you won't take the system back even if I asked you to?" the guard asked.

He looked to be a far cry from the scared guard she had seen only a few days ago. He had a maturity about him now.

"I will not risk it. You will have to live with your new circumstances." Aurora replied.

She did not give the guard any false hope. She could not afford to let her guard down.

"Yeah. I thought so. But what if I report you to the tower right now? That would be the end for you and Lady Astoria." Alexander smirked. But his smile had no gloating quality.

"If you report me now, then you will be killing yourself as well. Do you believe that the tower will be kind enough to let you live? They'll brand you as a traitor as well for knowing about us." Aurora informed.

"You're right. I will be killed. But maybe I am just crazy enough to take that risk. God knows that my father has abandoned me already." The man, no, the teen replied.

And when he turned to leave Aurora did not stop him.

His aura had betrayed him already. He was not going to tell anyone about her or Astoria.

"If you're looking for a way out, then just go left. If you are looking for anything else, the garden is the best place. Do not get caught by the guards." Those were bold pieces of advice.

Aurora hesitated over her next words, but Alexander's courage finally made up her mind.

"You don't have to stay in the tower all your life. It is a parasite that sucks you dry. If you want a new life, come find me in the Rocx valley. I'm sure you will not regret that decision." Aurora offered.

The guard left the scene without looking back. But Aurora was sure he would reach a decision soon. His aura told that much to her.

"So, the garden. I guess I better start looking there if I want to find the secret entrance." Aurora whispered as she started walking.

Alexander had taken a huge risk in telling her about this secret.

But Aurora found a fault with his information a few minutes after waking. She had no idea where the garden was. For all she knew, she could be going around in circles.

"Hey, you! What are you doing here? Show me your permit or else I will have to report you." Aurora slowly came to a stop. She looked at the guard who had stopped her.

The male guard looked a little flushed. But he also seemed to be built similar to her. And it gave Aurora a solution to her problem.

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The male guard looked a little flushed. But he also seemed to be built similar to her. And it gave Aurora a solution to her problem.

"Ah, sure. Can you follow behind me? I need to sit down to show you the pass."

The guard followed behind her nervously.

Maybe he could sense that something was wrong. Or he could tell that he was not going to like what was about to happen.

But the guard immediately tried to fall once Aurora shut the door close behind her.

It was a passable effort. But the guard did not make it very far. Aurora's nerve strike knocked him out cold.

"Sorry. It's not your fault. I just need your clothes to be able to blend in."

Aurora apologized. However, her actions contradicted her words.

Luckily for the guard, she was a male. Aurora did not feel too bad leaving him in his under-clothes once she was finished.

A good thing about being dressed as a common guard was the lack of attention it drew toward Aurora. She could blend in far easier.

"Halt. Show me your hall pass."

The guard on duty sounded bored when he asked Aurora to stop. Staying on the same post day and night must be taking a toll on these guards' endurance.

This time, Aurora did not hesitate to flash the hall pass she had snatched from the guard.

Thankfully, the hall pass did not possess any initials or identifications. It was a general pass common for everyone.

"You are free to pass. Where is your assignment post located?" the guard asked.

"I am assigned to the garden, sir."

Aurora did not hesitate in her answer. She even bowed the correct way to make her acting more believable.

"The gardens? Are you sure?" the guard asked.

Aurora nodded without hesitation.

"Weird. They generally don't post anyone at such a useless place. Well, go ahead. You are cleared of charges."

The guard ushered Aurora inside. He did not sound worried about the schedule change. Aurora did not know if she felt grateful or worried about the tower's security.

But lingering on the past feelings was of no use. Aurora needed to head ahead toward her destination.

Just as the guard had said, no one else seemed to be heading the same way as her. The hallway was as good as abandoned by the guards.

Aurora took it as a blessing in disguise. It allowed her to move undetected through the hallways and be on the outlook for the tracking devices.

Her system also got a free reign to scan the hallway and map it out.

The garden was located in the east-side courtyard part. And contrary to its name, it was not an actual garden.

More accurately, it would not trigger an image in your mind if you thought of a garden.

The ground was covered with concrete but the side-lines were filled with planters. The center of the plaza held the most iconic structure in the vicinity – a huge waterfall.

Aurora could not spot the origin of the waterfall, nor could she see where the water went after it hit the ground.

But she could feel the aura of magic all around that waterfall.

And that was how she knew that the waterfall was the real deal.

"System, scan the surroundings. Try and find out the source of the waterfall."

Since the waterfall had been placed in the center, there had to be a reason behind it. To have such a garden in the tower was an oddity.

With this much magic running around, the place should have been filled with plants and greenery. But someone had gone through a lot of effort to make this place vegetation-free.

Except for the planters on the side wall.

(Scanning finished……

Decoding the area map…..

Asking permission to turn on the magic sensor…..)

Aurora took in a deep breath before she gave the go-ahead. Her eyes burned as magic rushed toward her eyes.

Small magic spells were easy to cast. But Aurora did not want to risk losing control over her powers if something went wrong in the process. That was why she had made the system initially.

And she applauded herself for her foresight as she blinked her tears away. She was not sure she would have been able to maintain the spell for a long time if she did not have her system.

Sometimes, forcing control outside of her hand was a good thing.

"Let's see what secrets the tower was trying to hide from me," Aurora whispered.

The garden no longer looked like before. Her eyes could spot a misty hue in the air. It was magic in its physical form.

Generally, magic did not have a physical sense. But it did react with a certain type of magic to create an illusionary image.

This could allow someone to see magic in its physical form. But the technique used for such a thing required precise control and calculations. Something Aurora was not confident in when she was in pain.

"W-What is that? Is that a magic formation?" the magic in her surroundings was not stagnant.

Generally, magic did not flow on its own. Only an external force could make magic move and change shape. The bigger the force, the more magic they could move around.

Under these circumstances, the magic in the garden should not be in motion. There was no active user in the vicinity.

And yet, Aurora could see a small vacuum of magic toward the center of the water-fall. It gathered at the top and flowed along the water.

And then it disappeared beneath the surface.

Wherever the water was going, so did the magic.

"This is another dead end for me. I can tell that water is disappearing in this cavity but I'm too big to enter here." Aurora knelled in front of the waterfall.

There was a small cavity in front of her. But it was too small for even the water flow to be directed into.

If not for magic, it would have been impossible for the water to be able to disappear into the cavity.

But that was of no concern to Aurora.

She did not care how the water managed to get into the base below the garden. She needed to know how she could enter the base as well.

"Think of the teachings. You have read so many magic formation manuals in the tower's library. There had to be something that could help me out." Aurora tried to recall.

But the sad thing was, she had read 'too' many books. And no amount of retention power was strong enough to remember all the content.

Still, she could try and think this topic through rationally. Many things stood out in this setting.

The waterfall was the most obvious object of interest. But that was nothing more than a medium. Anything more would make it unstable.

So it was not the device being used to maintain the spell.

What else could there be? Plants could be the answer but their magic conductance was different. They could not manipulate the magic in the air.

What else could it be in the garden that could manipulate magic like this?

Aurora felt her headache. Her thought process was in shambles and it made things difficult for Aurora.

She decided to give her thought process some rest and look up.

And her eyes instantly widened in understanding.

It was no wonder that she had not realized what kind of situation she was in. It was because the real spell had been hidden beneath the magical fog and the waterfall.

But the glass above Aurora reflected the real shape of the spell toward the ground.

The thing fueling the spell was neither the waterfall nor the plants. The magic in the surrounding helped hide the real 'garden' beneath the magic mirage.

How cunning of the tower to try and dilute the real magic with the help of extra magic. Even if someone knew that something was wrong, they would not be able to tell what it was.

Aurora did not question why the glass above the garden was installed in such a way to give this cleaver trick away.

There were many mysteries of the abyss tower that were better left unquestioned.

Aurora followed the guidance of the huge glass on the ceiling. She could barely see her position.

But she did make sure she was tapping the right spots on the floor. It was a matter of life and death for her.

Aurora held her breath as she pressed the last red tile on the floor. She waited for something to happen but nothing did.

Aurora started to pick herself up to try again but then it happened.

The floor started shaking and the waterfall began disappearing.

And there it was, the door to the underground. The road had parted to show Aurora the right way. And the feeling of magic was dense in the cavity in front of her.

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The underground area was as dark as Maria had expected. The only source of light was the side lamps lighting the wall.

Their magic was strong but not enough to repel Aurora away from the source of heavy magic she was feeling.

If this was the dragon's magic, Aurora could see why the human race was so afraid of it. The condensed mana down here would rival any goddess.

If not for the protection of her powers, Aurora was sure she would not even be conscious to make it this far. And it also made sense why there was a lack of security along with these parts.

It was because anyone sensible enough to feel this aura would not dare come close to it. The aura would knock them unconscious long before that time.

But Aurora continued to walk ahead. She could feel the aura pressing against her but she kept on pushing back. She had walked too far to turn back now.

Thankfully, the pressure of that aura did lessen considerably once she was deep enough in the chamber. The oppression no longer bothered her.

Instead, the probing was more playful and restrictive. It shied away from her when she tried to chase that aura back.

But if Aurora was one thing, she was stubborn.

She followed after that feeling. She did not allow it to flee from her senses and finally found the hidden chamber she had been looking for.

She had to admit that the tower had some sense of interior design left in their team. The chamber looked like a nest with the walls carved in heating stone and the floor made up of firestone in the center of the room held several platforms filled with important artifacts.

Aurora would not have been able to tell what was what if she did not have prior knowledge of her objective.

That was to say, Astoria had told her something peculiar about the dragon egg that would help her recognize the egg.

Despite all the rumors and speculations, the dragon egg was not dead.

According to Astoria, the egg still had a heartbeat inside it. And if Aurora focused enough, she should be able to hear the heartbeat.

But it was easier said than done. Aurora had no experience in this department and her confidence was not on par as well.

She was aiming in the dark, Aurora had to concentrate more than she normally would have to.

Or so she thought.

But the loud heartbeat was echoing in her ears a long time ago. It had accompanied the shy aura she had followed after.

But the problem was, that she did not know where the heartbeat originated from. The echo was so loud that it did not clarify where it was coming from.

"System, find the source of that echo. And hurry up." As happy as Aurora was to find the heartbeat, it was beginning to annoy her.

The constant pounding of that voice in her head was getting repetitive now.

(Echoing traced…..

Finding targets…..

Targets found successfully…..)

Aurora took a deep breath before she left her and fell from her ear.

Now all she had to do was to follow her system and she would be able to find the source of her headache.

And the location of the egg should have been predictable. It was held in the center of the room, the very middle table.

It was as large as Aurora's forearm and looked heavy to touch.

"System, store the egg in the inventory." Aurora neared the egg and reached out to touch it.

The egg felt smooth and hot under her hand. It gave off a comforting feeling that made Aurora want to crass it even more.

But she was on a timer and had to hurry up. She did not doubt that her being here had triggered some kind of alarm in the security chamber.

She knew how the tower worked and a place like this was never left unattended for long. Especially so if the place was a secret chamber like this one.

(The system apologists to the user.

Live objects cannot be placed inside the system's inventory)

Aurora wanted to complain about the system. But it would be like scolding herself. She had made the system and she knew that it was not omnipotent.

Well, it could not be helped. She would have to smuggle the egg out the old fashion way.

Thankfully, Aurora had the foresight to bring a compression traveling case with her. The small pouch should be able to keep the egg inside itself.

Or so was the plan. But the egg decided to be a pain in the butt and not fit inside the pocket dimension.

It gave off a pissed aura. Aurora had no other choice but to pick the egg up in her arms and give up their freedom.

The egg settled down once it was in her arms. It seemed content to stay there and Aurora sighed in irritation.

So much for a quick in-and-out job. This was turning out to be a hassle.

"-in there. We are not permitted to be down here." Footsteps accompanied by voices made their way toward Aurora's location.

She only had so long to hide before she would be found out.

Aurora quickly made a decision and she nabbed the nearest veil of liquid.

She did not have to test it to know that it was the Elixir of life. That was the only liquid bottle down here which made it the said item by default.

"-cannot be risked. Lady Minerva is in a meeting. It is our only chance to see what the tower is hiding in here." Aurora quickly jumped up in the air and used magic to hold herself above the lintel level.

She positioned herself near the entry gate to not be seen.

She knew that this was a blind spot once someone entered the room. No one was alert enough to look up once they entered a space.

"I know. But still, this feels like cheating. Aren't the rebels suppose to be the honorary ones in this fight?"

The speaker sounded conflicted. Aurora felt bad for the poor kid.

The speaker had made it abundantly clear that he was with the rebel forces. So technicality, they were Aurora's allies.

But Aurora was stealing an important treasure without the rebellion's knowledge. As such, her presence here could bring a lot of problems.

Hopefully, the rebels would not have the same objective as her during this raid.

"Honor? There is no honor in a fight. Now get started and find those papers. We need to take them back to our leader." The second speaker sounded amused at the hopeful tone.

Aurora did agree with him on that front. There was no honor in a fight. It was about either death or survival.

Aurora could have stayed behind and cleared a misunderstanding. But she chose not to show herself.

She quietly jumped outside the door. The dragon egg was secure in her arms when she did so.

The climb back was not as tough as her mind was making it out to be. Aurora easily headed outside the main door and fled the scene.

And once she was outside, she took in a deep breath and held the dragon egg a few inches away from her face.

"I saved you so you better not make me regret my decision. You better behave or I will have you cooked." Aurora was joking for the most part but her threat carried a heavy tone.

But the egg did not look concerned. Even it knew the effort it took Aurora to find it and steal it.

It gave off a smug aura. Aurora wanted to smash it apart at the second but her rationality stopped her from making that grave mistake.

She had promised Astoria to help steal this egg. She needed to bring it back safe and sound.

So with a heavy heart, Aurora picked the egg up and dumped it into her side bag. At least it stayed safe there.

But the egg decided it did not want to stay there as well. Aurora only had a fraction of a second to catch the egg before a calamity would befall her.

"You are serious giving me a heatstroke." The egg felt smug in her arms.

Aurora just sighed and left her fate up to the heavens.

But on the brighter note, she did have the egg with her. So her side of the bargain was already fulfilled.

Now all she had to do was to get it back to Astoria and she would be done.

But then happened what Aurora had been fearing all along. Things went wrong and a small explosion shook the ground under her feet.

Smoke seeped out of the passage she had existed from. And Aurora bolted from the scene. She did not look back at the smoke, nor did she loosen the hold on her egg.

She just ran and ran till she reached her assigned room.

And then she bolted her door shut.

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