Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 317
Chapter 317
When Victoria found herself surrounded by darkness, a powerful sensation coursed through her, as if she had been thrust into a deep, lightless void all on her own.
– What?
Surprised by the echo of her own voice reverberating in her mind, Victoria quickly tried to make sense of the situation.
There was nothing to see, no sensation in this space.
Even as she frantically attempted to look around, her head remained still.
It was as if she was completely paralyzed, unable to even control her own body; a terrifying feeling that seemed to gnaw at her very essence, threatening to engulf her in this dark emptiness.
– Am I… gone?
– No, that can’t be!
– Aaaah!
Screaming into what felt like an endless pit of fear, Victoria realized that not even her scream could escape her lips.
In the dark void, where time seemed to stretch endlessly, she knew she wouldn’t be able to think clearly for much longer.
Her soul felt on the brink of being consumed by the dreadful emptiness surrounding her.
Instinctively, Victoria focused on unraveling the mysteries behind this unsettling predicament.
The sudden appearance of the demon, and the darkness that had arrived with it.
Though unfamiliar to her, the gray energy she had witnessed firsthand was undoubtedly magical.
If that was the case, then the darkness that had flooded this space must also be magical in nature.
There were two possibilities: either she was instantly vanquished by that magic and sent to hell, or that magic was the very cause of her current plight.
The former option was not even worth considering.
The certainty that she hadn’t lived in such a way as to end up in hell remained strong, and if that was true, there was no reason for her to give up.
– I will endure!
Determined to break free from her current situation, Victoria focused her mind with all her might.
In that moment, a distant memory from her childhood suddenly flashed in her mind.
– Oh, brother. Do we have to keep enduring like this? Can’t we join Mama and Papa?
Let’s just depart from this world.
It was perhaps when she had just recovered from a long bout of flu during winter.
When she opened her eyes and saw her brother trying to feed her the food meant for her, she could only express her despair in that way.
At that time, she believed that passing away would reunite her with her parents in heaven for a blissful life once more.
The look on her brother’s face upon hearing that was one of deep sorrow.
Yet he didn’t scold her. Instead, he responded with a calm voice.
– Yes, we must persevere.
– …Why?
– There’s no paradise awaiting us in death.
– No! The priest spoke of one!
– Mama said there was none.
That name held a special place in her heart.
The person she once thought to be the wisest in the world.
And even now, as an adult, she held her mother in high regard.
– No matter how tough it gets or how much you wish for release, when faced with death, you still desire to live. Perhaps that’s just…
Perhaps it was a truth ingrained in every human being.
Once this life ends, what comes next isn’t a peaceful slumber, but surely something worse than the hardships of this life.
– Then… does that mean…
The words of wisdom passed down from her brother resonated with her younger self in a way that made sense.
– So, no matter how bleak or challenging life becomes, you must cling to it.
Yet, beyond understanding, a glaring reality dealt another blow to her young spirit.
– …Then does that mean I can’t reunite with Mama and Papa?
– …Yes.
Back then, she likely wore a mournful expression.
No, she was probably shedding tears.
The hope of seeing her parents again had vanished.
It had been tough.
It had pained her.
She had grown weary.
– Why!? Why is this happening!
But in that moment, her brother’s comforting arm came into her view.
– Mama and Papa urged us to persevere. So we must endure no matter what, Ria.
Even then, her brother’s trembling hands struggled to feed her, despite his own hunger.
– I will shield you at all costs.
That was how she endured through the sacrifices and devotion of her family.
Within that harsh reality, by chance, she encountered a benefactor, found hope, and was able to lead a normal life at last.
– What kind of life have I led?
– What opportunities have I fought for?
– I cannot depart!
The resentment and longing that had marked her entire existence prevented her from being engulfed by the darkness.
As her soul battled against being swallowed up, it began to shine even brighter amidst the consuming shadows.
And thus, her soul’s potential, now heightened, began dissecting the demonic signals that had led her to this situation… the very flow and patterns of the magical energy now imprinted deep within her being.
As the analysis neared completion, the senses she had lost slowly returned, faintly, as her body began to regain control.
Yet, Victoria herself was unaware of this. She was singularly focused on managing the deep brown ‘Magical Energy’ settling within her soul.
‘This is becoming troublesome.’
Louisa frowned upon realizing that the Dark Heaven Barrier had fully enveloped an unexpected intruder.
While the face of the magical entity she had cloaked her physical form in contorted hideously, there was no one around to witness.
The real issue was that the three spells she had readied to swiftly subdue the magician had instead been unleashed on an unintended target.
Her advanced macro magic, her unique technique, had been mistakenly activated and was now gripping her tightly.
The Dark Heaven Barrier, the demonic manifestation, and the ‘soul contamination’ layered over the Dark Heaven Barrier.
These spells were designed to swiftly overpower and manipulate a magician. All three belonged to the upper tiers of the Tower’s 6th-circles, potent spells reserved only for Tower magicians well-versed in the higher attributes of ‘soul’ and ‘dimension’.
‘That’s the problem. Blast it.’
Without thorough preparations beforehand, even she, a seasoned magician, couldn’t casually employ such a spell.
She had ensured no one would detect her before encountering the magician, and using this spell mid-battle was a mistake. The intruder possessed skills that prevented easy evasion.
“What in the world…?”
The intimidating demon figure eyed the intruder submerged in black mist.
They appeared remarkably young, and to her surprise, they had not only cast a 5th circle spell but pierced through the Tower’s distinctive concealment magic.
Additionally, despite the noise barrier she had erected, the walls, seemingly constructed from the Tower’s own materials, visibly crumbled.
Though layering the illusion magic should have been simple, after casting three 6th-circle spells and maintaining the noise barrier, adding another spell exceeded her capabilities.
Ultimately.
Beep!
– There’s an issue in the Tower!
Louisa furrowed her brow upon hearing the sounds of chaos from the lower levels.
‘It can’t be helped. For now, I must retreat.’
It likely wouldn’t cause significant trouble.
The only one who had discovered her was this challenging intruder, who would have no recollection, and since there were no casualties, it would be dismissed as an accident.
Louisa’s gaze shifted to the diminishing black mist.
Signs that the magic was nearing its end.
‘Well, if they are a gifted magician, they must hold importance. Perhaps even an apprentice to a magician. It may concern me.’
In this era, no magician could decipher the Tower’s magic.
If anyone could, it would only be members of the Imperial Family.
Such individuals wouldn’t exist in a small kingdom.
Of course, even with a powerful spell, fully corrupting a soul was still beyond reach.
Yet, thoroughly brainwashing someone posed greater risks. It would result in immediate strange behaviors.
Just causing temporary disruptions would suffice for now.
‘Although not ideal… well, cherished apprentices on the brink of causing trouble for their masters usually present challenges, this will do for now.’
– It’s above!
As voices echoed from below, Louisa suppressed her regrets and turned away.
But in that brief moment.
A massive brown fist appeared before her.
Thunderous!
– Gack!
Was it a female demon?
Victoria burst from the black mist, emitting a peculiar but high-pitched cry directed at the adversary.
“Seize them! If you cannot capture them, eliminate them!”
At her commanding cry, a golem three meters tall charged straight at the demon flung from the Tower.
Unlike the typical golems that moved powerfully but somewhat sluggishly, this one exhibited remarkable agility. Its speed reminiscent of the kingdom’s famed superhuman, Wicken Kalia.
The lightning-quick golem swung its massive fist.
Boom!
A crater over three meters wide formed upon impact.
While the damage did not reveal the enemy’s form, Victoria was content knowing the initial strike didn’t finish the job.
The six circles pulsating from her heart throbbed.
This was a worthy opponent to test her newly awakened abilities.
She had already confirmed one thing.
‘It’s fine. I don’t necessarily need to depend on wind attributes.’
With the Tower stairs beneath her, she felt the earth linked through the Tower.
As long as it fell within her magical reach, she could manipulate a combat golem from afar without relying on wind attributes, akin to her mentor.
‘Of course, the range won’t match that of my mentor.’
The ‘attribute enhancement’ she gained through awakening meant that the power of a golem created from a single elemental magic had far surpassed its usual limits.
Boom!
As the tempestuous assault of a potent golem pursued its fleeing target, the sight before Victoria filled her with pride.
This was just the commencement.
Victoria’s forte upon entering the Golemism academy was controlling multiple golems simultaneously. Her brothers had never been able to match her, focusing their efforts on individual golems.
“Now you cannot evade!”
As mana surged through the earth at her command, another golem emerged right in front of the escaping demon.
Boom!
– Bah!
Caught off guard by the sudden dual attack, the quarry was sent flying backward.
Though she felt perspiration, likely from utilizing excessive mana just after awakening, she didn’t sense any fatigue in that moment.
“I got you!”
As Victoria’s exultation rang out, a gray mist billowed from the fallen demon’s form and expanded rapidly in the vicinity.
Boom!
Crack.
Explosions rang out within the thick fog.
“What on earth…!?”
The magical blasts emanating from the mist clashed against the chaos in Victoria’s senses.
However…
‘I won’t let them escape!’
With eyes shut tight, she concentrated, pinpointing her opponent’s location.
As she directed her golems to attack once more, a presence crept up the Tower’s wall, only detectable through her earth-connected senses.
Thud.
“Curse it!”
Gritting her teeth, her mana began expanding in a different pattern.
Then, the Tower’s walls morphed into colossal stone javelins that swiftly impaled whatever was ascending.
Swish.
Boom!
Crack.
– Aaaaaarrgh!
With a piercing scream, the gray mist dissipated.
– Keek!
Boom.
Rumble.
‘Did I hit them?’
Victoria glanced down at the Tower’s lower levels, spotting a massive gray serpent recoiling, streaked with black blood before vanishing into the shadows.
Following that were the remnants of her shattered golems, and the puzzled expressions of the knights who had just arrived.
But the most crucial element was absent.
“Tch.”
She had missed her target.
Yet the fury in Victoria’s eyes held no remorse or lingering doubts.
While she may have gained a momentary upper hand, she acknowledged that she faced a formidable opponent, one who already stood a step ahead as a newly minted magician.
Above all else…
‘I definitely sensed it through the pulse of the land. That was no demon at all; the entity within it surely….’
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