The Fallen Soul collapsed into a heap, its scythes dropping with a clang before vanishing to dust. The slashes Marcille carved into it were all aimed at its chest and cut so deeply that the very concentration of astris she had glimpsed earlier shattered into fragments.

  Yor blinked as she watched the body begin to disintegrate into motes.

  ‘That was its core?’

  That amalgam of astris was actually a core? Did it function like a heart? It seemed like so because the moment it was shattered the creature went down. If that was true then why did Temperance ask Tobias for its location?

  ‘It’s possible they can be found at any part of their bodies. This one just so happened to be at its chest like a human’

  The fact she had noticed it when everyone else hadn’t made her stiffen. Well, everyone apart from Tobias apparently. The question prickled her, did he see it the same way she did, or did he use some other method?

  With no answers to her questions, she simply watched the strange man walking up to Marcille while sealing off tight the beak of his mask.

  That served to spark more questions in Yor’s heart but she pushed those aside, because there was something else she needed to pay attention to. That being her sister.

  “Incredible…”

  Marcille had just cleaved apart a High Hazard Class Fallen Soul, the same one which was giving Arthur, Agnes and Temperance trouble, and yet she dealt with it just like that.

  She defeated it in one shot!

  Sure, Tobias’ smoke played a role, but still it was incredible! Yor had always known that her older sister was strong, but she had never imagined her to be strong to this extent.

  Feeling a warm sensation rising from her chest, she quickly pressed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from smirking too much.

  ‘So that’s the kind of strength that’s achievable here. If Marcille could do that…maybe I can too. Maybe even surpass her one day!’

  The thought made her cheeks ache with how much she was smiling.

  But when the last of the smoke thinned out, Yor’s smile was wiped clean off.

  Marcille had not moved from her crouched position, spear angled low. Even though she could see her still striking that pose within the smoke, she just thought she was just milking the moment, but it looked more serious than she thought.

  What was more worrying about this was that her astris was laced through with streaks of black and green, the same hue as the smoke Tobias had expelled a few moments ago.

  Yor was curious, she wanted to run up to her and check why she was standing like that. But then the answer came rushing in. It was a no brainer.

  “Oh, poisonous gas. It’s paralytic. That’s why the Fallen Soul didn’t move, makes sense now. Clever, taking away its greatest strength, that was really clever. The poison only needs to touch the skin for it to seep in. Oh, fast acting too. The creature barely had time to twitch when Marcille rushed it.”

  She put her hand on her chin and stroked it.

  “Mhm, prolonged exposure…if you sit in that smoke for too long then your muscles will cramp, then lock, maybe even suffocate if your chest couldn’t draw breath anymore. Terrifying…”

  The poisons of this world truly were a wonder. She thought everything she had just said was all in her mind, but by the time she stopped, Elias and the twins were staring. Seth seemed to be leaning in to listen to more of what she had to say, but Silas muttered something and they both shrugged her off and strolled over to Temperance instead.

  Elias, however, still remained staring at her.

  “You, uh…know an awful lot about this stuff, don’t you? Its impress—”

  It was then that Yor’s cheeks flushed red. It was at this moment that she realized she had been talking out loud the whole time. Even worse, she was blabbering stuff she should have no knowledge about.

  She stiffened, then waved a hand dismissively, trying not to overreact.

  “Ah, no, no, you must have misheard me. I wasn’t saying anything strange or any of the sort…”

  She let out a nervous laugh before leaning in toward him. All fluster melted into a sly grin.

  “But I noticed how bravely you handled yourself. Bold as a knight, you were. Truly, Elias, not losing your composure at the start of the fight was nothing short of amazing”

  Yor tried to keep her voice down enough so nobody, other than the boy could hear her. And by the looks of it, her words were super effective too. Elias’ astris flickered between confusion and pride.

  “I, ah…well, I don’t—”

  “Modest too, I see. A fine trait for a hero”

  She nodded enthusiastically and kept pampering the boy until he forgot about the fact that she was caught fangirling and rambling like a lunatic.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Also she also understood what that rose gold hue of astris Elias was radiating now. Since he was exhibiting it while trying his hardest not to fumble over his words.

  ‘Ah, he’s flustered…”

  ***

  Now that the gatekeeper laid in pieces of scattered dust, they were clear to move on. However, nobody was in a rush, nor did they celebrate over their triumph.

  This wasn’t over, not by a long run.

  Temperance patting the heads of the twins, letting a long breath slip from her lips.

  “Well done, all of you. That was no easy task. But don’t loosen your guard yet. If that was merely the watchdog…gods know what horrors are waiting beyond”

  That begged the question. Was that Fallen Soul making sure that nobody got anywhere near the chapel or was it keeping something from getting out?

  The latter made Yor’s stomach twist. It only made sense with how adamant it was with keeping its post. Trying to get answers from it now would be useless. Not that it would have been if it was alive. After all, it showed no signs of communication, only reaction to ill intent.

  But there was one way to learn more. And that was to walk on, and see what it had been so dead set on defending.

  After Marcille was detoxified, she straightened with a small shake of her head and wiggle of the rest of her body. She gave her young sister and the rest of Duskfall a nod to show she was fit to continue.

  With that, everyone reformed back to formation, the familiar defensive shape they had moved in when they entered this forest.

  Arthur was just a step to the side, Agnes loomed behind the group. Tobias took the other flank this time, Temperance took the lead. And finally, Marcille was in the center to shield Yor, Elias, Seth and Silas.

  They marched onward, deeper and deeper into the forest. The air thickened with mist the deeper they went. Everyone was strangely silent, not that she minded since she needed time to think about certain stuff.

  The first being…

  Coming into contact with an actual monster. Her heart still hadn’t quite calmed down from that. Even though she wasn’t on the front lines, facing a Fallen Soul had been nothing short of terrifying.

  At first she thought she would feel some kind of thrill from meeting a monster, the same way she felt when she met real life elves and a demon. Seeing something beyond the scope of her old world should have been exciting, but it had the opposite effect on her.

  The demon tried to assault her and the monster was out to kill her. Not a great first impression.

  If Duskfall hadn’t been there or if she had simply wandered into that abomination alone then she would have been done for, she would have died again. Yes, it had passed now but still her palms were very clammy and she took shallow breaths.

  ‘What is wrong with me? Why am I starting to freak out now? Come on, focus. This isn’t over yet!’

  Yor swallowed dry saliva, trying to force that thought back down her throat, but the pressure the forest emitted tightened around her lungs, suffocating her with that very possibility.

  Monsters in her old world were either imagined predators lurking in the dark or they were humans themselves.

  ‘Animals fight for territory or for food. Humans on the other hand, are the only monsters who invent ideas worth killing for, and then convince themselves the slaughter is holy and justified’

  Yes, this was especially true since she herself had taken part in such behaviour. However the rules of this new world were different.

  Here, monsters were real, they were flesh and blood, nightmare and sinew, danger sharpened into claws and fangs. The Fallen Soul they had stumbled onto was of the High Hazard Class, just a step away from being a full fledged Nightmare Class.

  They were quite fortunate beyond measure to not only be alive but also having crossed paths with it before it ascended to a more dangerous class.

  And that’s where her second thought came in….

  If that was only one…what if there were others on the same level as the gatekeeper was? What if the forest or the chapel harbored an entire horde? Or what if the Fallen Soul had been the weakest of what lingered deeper ahead?

  It had taken the entirety of Duskfall to bring the gatekeeper down. Every one of them playing a part. What chance did they have against two more? Or three? Or something worse?!

  ‘Dammit’

  Yor clenched her fists tight against the fabric of her skirt. She hated the thought that she might be nothing but dead weight to them.

  Now more than ever, she wanted strength, she needed power. Something that would let her compete. Something that would make her useful.

  That brought her back to her sparring session with Arthur. Back then she received a power that allowed her to bring the gentlemen down when she should have had no skill to do so whatsoever.

  “Intoxication…”

  She whispered the word to remind herself. Then she called out inwardly.

  ‘Sawatari. Use [Insight] on the ability [Intoxication]’

  It didn’t take long before she heard the familiar voice of her assistant.

  ??Information on the Azure Ooze’s Unique Ability [Intoxication]

  It grants the ability to adapt to any and all phenomena when exposed for extended periods. It has the following effects.

  Tolerance: Upon first exposure to a phenomena, be it chemical, elemental, or even pure energetic shock, it analyzes the substance’s structure and its disruptive pattern. It then rapidly generates and tests counteragents, a process that is excruciatingly painful. This is to refine countermeasures until the substance is neutralized.

  Aptitude: Muscles and reflexes adjust unnaturally quickly. When a physical action is performed, it is mapped in precise firing of neurons, the stretch and tear of muscle fibers, and the strain on tendons and bones. It then works to optimize those pathways, reinforcing the correct neural signals and repairing muscle tissue in a way that is more resilient and efficient for that specific movement.

  Apothecary: Once a toxin, poison or venom has been fully assimilated, it stockpiles the refined formula and the catalytic enzymes used to break it down. You gain conscious or subconscious control over specialized glands and cells that can secrete these stored substances.

  These are the three effects of the Unique Ability ??

  Eh?....Eh?! Yor’s eyes widened as her steps faltered for half a second.

  ‘Adapt…to anything? That’s crazy…’

  This meant that if she lived through the pain of something or poison, it would no longer harm her? Like if she stood against fire, would it no longer harm her? Or if she were to get crushed under a rock and survived, would her durability be off the charts?

  If that was the case, her mind reeled, teetering between awe and disbelief.

  “That’s…”

  She bit her quivering lips, trying to hold back a laugh that wanted to burst out.

  ‘That’s too overpowered!’

  She almost screamed that out loud but this time she was more aware of her habit to shout out whenever something left her in disbelief.

  Still, it would have been justified this time. The ability itself sounded absurd, like something out of a fairy tale. Too good to be true even. This contradicted her original thought of thinking she had no cool power.

  Her chest tightened with a strange cocktail of dread and giddy hunger. As overpowered as this ability sounded, there was one problem.

  For [Intoxication] to take effect, she needed exposure, enough of it would reach the threshold required to activate it passively. In other words, she had to suffer until her body learned to get used to it.

  Her lips soured into a grimace.

  ‘...Gods, this is going to hurt’

  Then, just a few meters beyond the place where the gatekeeper had fallen, the drowned chapel of St. Vicar finally came into view.