Abyssal Awakening - Chapter 918

Chapter 918: Black Chains Of Fate

But even though Alice felt pity, it didn’t change the fact that they could be enemies.

“So, everything you’ve told me, every bit of info you shared, are they simply actions to place cogs into necessary places?” Alice asked, composing herself.

“Is that what it felt like?” Monika smiled.

“Well, after what you just showed me? Somewhat.” Alice sighed, walking out to the snowfield.

While she somewhat expected it, it was still surprising to see Monika following along.

She tossed her staff forward and had it float in the air.

Sitting on the staff, she crossed her legs and hovered next to Alice.

“I don’t blame you. Sometimes one can’t help but interfere with fate when you see it happen.” Monika shrugged, acting as though nothing was wrong.

“You’re… following along?” Alice furrowed her brows.

“Hm? Don’t worry, I’m not going to be breaking any rules, such as helping you kill things. I’m just an observer that you can see. Or… would you rather have me watch you from the dark? Where you can’t see?” Monika smiled, causing Alice to shiver.

“Urg… I guess this is slightly better.”

“I know right? Who wouldn’t want a pretty witch like me as a companion?” Monika flipped her hair while Alice slouched in fatigue.

She hadn’t fought anything yet but she was already tired.

“I’ll pass on that.” Alice shook her head as she made her way into the snowfield.

Taking a deep breath, she focused her mind and tried to sense the enemies around her.

But while doing this, she couldn’t help but notice Monika’s lack of presence. Rather than a person, she felt more like an object.

Ignoring this for now, Alice noticed a snow woman lying in wait by a snow pile.

A free kill.

Taking aim with her rapier, Alice lunged forward.

Pale La-

“!!!”

The moment Alice entered the range, her pupils constricted. Primordial fear shot through her veins as her eyes slowly moved down.

The world slowed, adrenaline shot coursed through her body.

She could see the shining ice spikes shooting out of the ground as she approached the snow woman lying in ambush.

She couldn’t stop her movement.

If she didn’t do anything, that spike will hit a precious place she’ll never recover from!

Gritting her teeth, Alice could already feel the phantom pain approaching.

Should she cancel her movement? It was too late.

All she could do was finish her spell and hope something would change!

Pale Lance!

*BANG!!!

Firing the lance below her, a cloud of snow was blown into the air as Monika floated back to avoid the battle.

As the snow cleared, Alice could be seen with a pale expression.

Between her legs, the spike narrowly missed as her attack managed to push her back just enough.

If it had hit…

Alice shivered.

She would’ve lost several things not just her dignity.

Veins bulged on Alice’s neck as she glared at the Snow Woman who was now preparing the second attack.

Without hesitation, she jumped up and lunged for the monster.

After a short exchange, only a pile of ash remained on the ground but not a single loot drop.

“Perverted beast!” Alice kicked the snow in annoyance.

Monika smirked at Alice’s reaction. Unfortunately for her, the Snow Women received an ‘update’ after discovering this rather effective strategy.

The snow zone isn’t only unique to Alice’s Nightmare.

It’s appeared in several other places and this trap proved to be rather effective on the hunter’s in the Nightmare.

Who in the right mind would protect their rear during a battle?

They may guard the front, they may guard their sides, they may even guard against a surprise attack from the bottom aiming for the head.

But one that aimed the rear?

No one expected it.

But when the first hunter died to this attack, he struggled to adjust. Causing several deaths to pile up and the realm to acknowledge it as a new attack.

Then, as they pushed this ‘update’ to the other snow women, waiting in ambush with their skills, more and more victims started to appear.

The goal of the Nightmare was, at the end of the night, cause as much death as possible. To integrate the hunters to this dream.

So the most effective strategy will naturally be abused by this realm.

Until the moment Hunters stop dying to it of course.

Journeying along the snowfield, Alice was ambushed several times by snow woman who all targeted the same… area.

Enough to the point where Alice slid a plate of armour under her pants as insurance in case she couldn’t dodge in time. While walking, there was a blush on her face.

Shameless but an effective counter.

What else could she do?

She tried to jump away at one point but that required her to crouch.

And the moment she did, she felt the ice poke her a little.

Enough to throw off her jump.

“M-O-N-I-K-A!!! Why are these pervy beasts trying to stab the ass!?!?” Alice grabbed Monika’s shoulder as she only laughed.

“Don’t blame me~ Blame the people that died to it over and over.” She stuck out her tongue.

Hearing the fact that people were dying to this, Alice felt a shiver. Just imaging that kind of death…

She paled and cringed from the thought.

It was the same as hearing someone kicking a wall while a needle was under their nail, or a man seeing a fellow man get hit in the crotch as they fall onto a fence.

This phantom pain was psychological damage.

So imaging the hunters who died to this insidious technique, Alice could only close her eyes and pray for their well-being.

“Don’t tell me the bosses… will also do the same…” Alice glared at Monika who shook her head.

“Don’t worry, the bosses of the area are different. They’re not like the fodder who adapt based on the Nightmare.

“Even if you fought Adela again, she’ll do her usual attacks without targeting your butt.” Monika grinned.

Letting out a sigh, Alice continued through the snowfield.

“How much about this realm are you allowed to tell me as a guide?” She spoke after a while.

“Interested? We can always play the game. And that’s not just me wanting to get information from you. Games are a way for people to bypass certain… restrains and create loopholes.” Monika laid down on her staff while twirling her finger.

Little by little, a black ring on her finger. On the ring, a metal chain appeared. The chain wasn’t connected to anything but Alice knew it wasn’t natural.

There was something unsettling about it but she didn’t know what.

“Let me change the question then. Why are you insistent on giving me knowledge in such a roundabout why? Are you trying to set fate in stone? Or well… I guess cogs in this case.”

Alice wanted to figure out what Monika’s motive was. What did she want from her?

“I wouldn’t deny that it’s to put certain cogs into place. The more foundations I place, the more consistent the outcome. Think of it as increasing odds.

“If I don’t do anything, the changes of fate changing is 50/50. Sometimes the results are good or it could be bad. But if I set up the right foundations, that probability changes.

“So long as I play my cards right, I can even turn that 50% into a guarantee. Though one must be careful when tampering with the workings of fate. Changing ones fate means something else must suffer.

“Increasing the odds of me winning this gamble by 50% means that someone else must suffer consequences equal to what you win. So rather than making it a guarantee, it’s better to set fate to a high probability. That way, the consequences are manageable.” Monika created coins in the air and flipped them.

“Is that what happened to the woman you spoke about earlier? Peering into fate and got burned by it.” Alice asked curiously.

This information was rather interesting to her. She still didn’t like the idea but… she couldn’t deny the fact that this knowledge was useful.

“Somewhat. Her case is unique though. First in history, that’s what she is.” Monika shrugged.

“In this world, there are several people affected by the black chains of fate. Chains that lock their actions to certain predestined paths that they cannot avoid. From the moment these chains are attached, they move under rules set by fate.

“What they’re allowed to do, what they’re not allowed to do. Unfortunately, fate isn’t exactly a living being either. A natural law that ensures that the world travels towards its end without interruption.

“Therefore, you can’t exactly bargain with fate. Trying to do so is denying its existence. Contradictory, isn’t it? To ask Fate itself to deny its own existence and purpose. Who would accept?” Monika explained as her gaze rested on her own black chains of fate.

Her restrictions were small but she still walks towards oblivion.

She cannot deny her path no matter what she does.

These chains are proof.

Alice noticed this and decided not to ask about Monika’s chains.

Was Caelan affected by these chains too? Was that the price of his immortality that his mother imposed on him?

Is that why… he wouldn’t be able to help even if Rosalyn is about to die to Outer Gods?

Are the Outer Gods required by fate?

If so…

What did fate want with their world?