Chapter 55: The Girl’s Limit
Lonis could feel that Elusiah had become much gentler towards her. Normally, this black-hearted girl couldn’t wait to throw herself onto the bed, but now? She had lifted herself up and even helped Lonis rest her large tail on her thigh.
“Elusiah, that…”
“Phew, alright, little fox. Rest well here. If you need anything, I can help you get it.”
“Eh?”
“Do you want some ice cream? Princess Cécile brought some over earlier.”
“Ah, no, just a bit of bread is fine.”
Lonis’s ears twitched slightly, and Elusiah very gently brought her a large piece of bread, broke off a part, and asked:
“Little fox, do you want me to feed you?”
“Ah, I can eat it myself.”
This made the silver-haired girl feel somewhat overwhelmed. She took a deep breath and asked, “Um, Elusiah…”
“What is it?”
“Am I not going to live much longer? Is that why…”
Elusiah’s sudden gentleness towards her reminded Lonis of her visit to the Moon King, Diya. Back then, Elusiah had bullied her so badly at night that she was gentle during the day – so Lonis always felt a sense of dread.
However…
“Hey, what is little fox thinking about? Things have indeed happened, but it’s not that serious… After all, as a princess, isn’t it normal to take care of a meritorious Brave Miss?”
“Eh?!”
Lonis was so surprised that her ears perked straight up.
“Wasn’t the little idiot’s determination to participate in the experiment very brave? Although she was scared and sat up twice, that’s the Dark Abyss, something that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to touch.”
“Ah… Thank you…”
As Elusiah gently stroked her palm, Lonis felt much more relaxed.
“What are you thanking me for, little fox? Do you want to eat anything else?”
“No, no need. I’ve already eaten my fill.”
“Then, let’s rest for a bit.”
Although Elusiah approached her gently, this made Lonis somewhat uncomfortable. She could feel that Elusiah had something to say to her, so…
“Elusiah, I… I’m fine. If there’s anything, just tell me directly.”
“Phew, little fox is really putting on a brave face, isn’t she? But, it’s fine this way. I originally wanted to ask after Lonis had calmed down.”
“Is… it about the images I saw while I was in the illusion?”
“Yes, little idiot. Can you recall for me what you saw exactly? Because no one has ever tried to replicate the Dark Abyss, I don’t know why you’re so exhausted.”
“Um, actually…”
…
…
Lonis recounted everything she had seen to Elusiah.
“So, it’s like that… Hmm, I can probably analyze what those things mean.”
“Uh?”
“Those decaying scrolls refer to lost knowledge. But specifically, it means people who have lost their physical bodies, and their souls have also disappeared into the digital world.”
“Disappeared… What does that mean?”
“Isn’t the Land of Eternity like that? People can upload their consciousness into a container, and if that container is destroyed, wouldn’t that mean the demise of consciousness?”
“Eh?!!!”
“The second image is of a body buried in the soil. This is easy to understand; it refers to those who died in the earth and whose very beings have been completely forgotten by history.”
“!!!”
“The third one is not difficult to understand either. If we liken the white light to a nuclear bomb or the power of all positions, it can describe beings whose physical bodies were completely submerged.”
“W-why are they all dead people?”
“The power of the Rainbow Abyss encompasses everything, representing the operational laws of this world, including the fire that births civilization, and of course, also the destruction that ends civilization.”
“Eh…”
“In other words, only those who have experienced destruction, and are extremely familiar with destruction and endings, can master the power of the Dark Abyss. In fact, because you, little fox, are a being from the previous epoch, I believe you possess such power.”
“But, I only have 15% adaptability.”
“Hmm, 15% is already quite a lot. I’ll find a way for the remaining 85%… This isn’t about your abilities. Rest for now.”
“Elusiah…”
…
…
Actually, after spending so much time with Elusiah, Lonis had noticed something. If it wasn’t her problem, Elusiah would generally like to joke around, calling her a little waste or a little idiot to tease her. But if it truly was her problem… she would become much more amiable, even protecting her. Just like now, with only 15% compatibility with the Dark Abyss, Lonis felt useless herself, but she didn’t know how to improve.
(Damn it, what do I have to do to integrate the ability… Argh, I’m so unwilling!!!!!)
…
But even her unwillingness was of no use. Because the Dark Abyss wasn’t something that could be done just by deciding to do it – and after the first experiment, the equipment also needed time for debugging and updates. Lonis was somewhat dejected, and on the morning of the sixth day, another sudden piece of bad news arrived.
“W-what? General Tas has been defeated!!!!”
“Yes, and several Sword Shield Guards are also on the verge of serious injury – if General Tas hadn’t stepped forward to protect them, they would have all died.”
The bad news came so abruptly that Lonis had no reaction. The defenses for the past few days had been so smooth that the little fox almost thought there would be no danger at all. And today? The one attacking the Land of Eternity was an extremely terrifying general! Its appearance was unremarkable, but it possessed incredibly exaggerated strength. Even the Sword Shield Guards were no match for it and were defeated in a crushing manner. Fortunately, Dean Emerald and Princess Cécile were already on standby, and they finally managed to kill the enemy general. But the final price…
…
“Elusiah, what happened to General Tas?”
“It’s fine, little fox, don’t worry. Just wait outside for a while.”
“Eh?”
“It’s a robot, after all. What could go wrong? Alright, I already said not to worry.”
Elusiah rubbed her ear, making Lonis feel genuinely comfortable. But Lonis also knew that if everything were fine, Elusiah would at least let her see. And now, perhaps General Tas’s condition was very bad, even his body…
“No, Elusiah, I want to go and see General Tas’s condition!”
“Eh?”
“This is not begging as a pet, but a plea as a comrade! General Tas once fought alongside me, so I must go and see it.”
“You idiot…”
Elusiah gazed at Lonis. Although a hint of “displeasure” appeared in her eyes, she did not stop Lonis:
“Alright, you can come, but… you’ll have to decide for yourself what happens next.”
