Abyssal Awakening

"Storm Leviathan?! Allura surely you know how resistant that beast is to lightning?! Even if it is a fantastic beast to act as Ria's fourth Sigil, it has a reputation for being incredibly hard to kill for pure lightning users!" Gin furrowed his brows as choosing this was essentially asking Ria to cut her journey short.

"I know your concerns. However, we're not going to try kill an ordinary Storm Leviathan. Rumour has it that one is close to becoming a Storm Sovereign and in the period where it's about to transform, it is weakest because it has to reshape its body with its own lightning.

Meaning that during this time, it's going to be extremely weak to the element." Allura explained as Gin sat down and sighed heavily.

"And what if we aren't able to kill it before it becomes a Storm Sovereign? That's a six star beast we're talking about. And if we were to kill it, how is Ria supposed to kill another Storm Leviathan?"

"Which is why I want to see what Ria thinks. It's not like the Storm Leviathan is the only option. There are a few others but if you want a challenge this has good rewards to match the risks. Plus, if you fail this hunt then it's not like we don't have ways for you to kill the beast even with its resistance to lightning powers." Allura shrugged.

If it was truly impossible to kill this beast while you only had a handful of Sigils then it wouldn't be known as one of the best lightning Sigils available.

"It's up to you Ria, you make the call." Allura smiled while looking over to Ria.

This was her own choice, her own path that she decided to take. If she truly wanted a challenge, then there was no better challenge than the Storm Leviathan.

With the options now presented to her, Ria was silent before taking a deep breath.

"I'll fight it."

"Ria!" Gin frowned.

"Grandfather, it's okay. I know the risks involved and how difficult things will become if I fail. However, I want to take on this challenge. I want to set down a strong foundation so I can continue to rise through the ranks of power until I can call myself an Abyss Lord." Ria replied as Gin could see the fires of determination in her eyes.

Her fighting spirit and her will to stand up to the challenge.

Massaging his eyes, Gin sighed and nodded.

"Alright."

Baby birds must leave the nest and if this is Ria's choice then so be it. Gin accepted that there was a limit to how much he could protect Ria. If she is able to succeed in this hunt then there's no worry about her not being able to escape a dangerous situation.

Plus, he knows deep down that if Allura suggested this as an option then it's definitely possible. She wouldn't suggest something impossible to the two of them.

"There will be some preparation for you to do but the first thing is letting the Abyss know your intent. If we go to a Shaman, there's a chance that they won't be able to assign you the right bounty. So instead, we'll be going to a different area where you can commune with the Abyss directly and receive the right bounty." Allura chuckled as she pulled out a map.

"This is where we are, Zadash. Our destination for this communal spot will be in the next layer of the Abyss, the Howling Depths. And it is there where you'll commune with the Abyss and get your bounty. Ordinarily, I would say we'll be going back to Slaughter Docks to get a ship so we can travel to the location of the Hunt.

However, due to a few complications, we'll refrain from going back for now until Alice is ready. Instead, we'll be going to a small fishing hamlet called Anivari. I know a friend there who owns a pretty big boat we can borrow while we find this Storm Leviathan." Allura explained while pointing out where the key locations are on the map.

Meanwhile, Alice was silent after being reminded about what happened back in the Slaughter Docks. The next time she goes back, it's when she'll be ready to get revenge for what Bella did to Lilia.

The way Lilia was tortured, her pained look after her body was torn apart and toyed with.

She'll make sure Bella suffers.

"Alice~ Ya hoo~ Your killing intent is leaking out a bit. Too many eyes our way." Allura called out as Alice snapped out of her stupor and apologised, controlling herself while Allura continued to explain.

"Since the fight will be taking place in the Abyss Waters, we'll need some equipment to protect you and help you reach the beast with ease. Your Sigil can protect you to a certain extent but protecting you while also helping you fight the beast will be extremely exhausting.

Which is why we'll be waiting roughly a week once more for Gin to collect more stuff." Allura grinned as Gin already knew what was coming.

"I know what you need. Thankfully, none of it is annoying to get so it wouldn't actually take a week. I'd say about 4 days are most." Gin shook his head as he stood up and prepared to leave.

"I trust that you'll be taking them to the communal point before I come back."

"Yep, leave it to me. We'll be leaving for the location tomorrow and should be back on the same day. We'll rest a day while waiting for you to come back then we'll leave this city. Because once the hunt is finished, we'll be clearing up the issues on our end while Ria and Alice will make their way to the mainland." Allura nodded as Gin gave Ria a hug before leaving the restaurant.

"Is there any specific path we need to take to the mainland?" Alice asked while observing the map that Allura had placed on the table.

"Nope. The journey will be completely up to you. I don't know when we'll be finished with our task so it's very difficult to plan a route for you. Just know that we'll be able to find you when the time comes. Think of it as an assignment. One where you get used to life and see where it takes you." Allura shook her head.

"If you think you are ready for another Sigil while me and Gin are away, you can reply using letters I send to you. Of course, I'll trust your judgement if a good opportunity arises for a good Sigil." Allura winked, knowing that Alice can choose a bounty whenever she wanted thanks to Cayla's powers.

"And remember to keep my words regarding her in mind." She pointed at her eye as Alice understood that Allura was referring to how she shouldn't wake up Cayla too much.

"Well, that's enough serious talk. You two can spend the rest of the day however you want since I'm assuming you'll be exhausted after your fights."

Finishing the rest of the meal, Allura looked through the window as Ria took Alice out to do some shopping.

Pulling out a cigarette, Allura lit it up with a small fire before looking at the guest who had just sat down at the same table. She had noticed him giving her looks while she was talking with Alice and the others.

"So, what do you want? It better be worth my time since you clearly know who I am." Allura narrowed her eyes while leaning back against her chair lazily.

"I've come to bring word from the Underground." A young man wearing a simple suit replied as he placed a letter on the table.

Giving Allura a bow, he left her to read alone.

Raising an eyebrow, Allura opened the letter and scanned through the contents.

'Seems like Jinya has revoked the memberships of Mahri and a few others. The higher ups in the Eclipse cult doesn't seem to care that much while the Sun and Moon are rather unhappy and confused as to how they even managed to kill a sealed Abyss Lord. They're pressuring the Eclipse on both sides to get a response from them. . . Not bad.

He works fast as expected. It hasn't even been a day yet and he's already bringing back results.' Allura smiled, understanding that Jinya must've put her request as a priority.

But the letter didn't end there. As she read the next part, a frown slowly formed on her face.

It wasn't that Jinya was incapable of hindering the Zenia's, in fact he completed that task with ease due to the fact that there are several noble houses that are jealous of their success. He is even urging them on from the sidelines.

What was concerning for her was the fact that they had already sent a representative who was on their way to Zadash as they heard news of the White Death and are exceedingly curious regarding the effects of its blood.

Provided that it has any blood to be retrieved.

'Judging by their speed of travel and when I receive the news, I believe the representative of the Zenia family should be arriving today to talk with the Hunters Guild regarding the blood belonging to the White Death… Sh*t…' Allura frowned as she understood what this meant.

There was a high chance of Alice seeing them and being reminded of her captivity. Knowing what she had gone through, Allura didn't want Alice to be exposed to the Zenia's again so soon.

###

While Allura was reading through the letter, Ria had taken Alice down to the shopping district that was located not far from the Hunter's Guild as most of the wares available here was discounted for Hunters.

With Allura confiscating most of their money aside from a handful of gold, they had to be prudent with what they bought.

"Alice, what do you think of this bag? Seems like it'll hold more vials than your current one though I'm not too sure about the durability." Ria asked, showing Alice a bag that could hold up to 14 vials of blood compared to her current one.

But before Alice could respond, she noticed a group of finely dressed Hunters on their way to Hunters Guild. It wasn't their fine outfit that caught her eye but rather what was on it. A sight that sent a chill down her spine as her body froze up in fear.

The crest of the Zenia family.

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