The Broken Halo

Chapter 1031 - 1030: Welcome To The Abyss

Simon reached into his spatial ring.

A book appeared in his hand. Its dark-red leather cover was plain, with a narrow black binding and thick grey pages.

He opened it against his left palm.

Ancestral Elder Bone Prophet looked at the empty page.

”You still have to write it down?”

”Yes.”

Simon raised his right hand.

”Don’t worry. I know the whole method. There won’t be any mistakes.”

Grand Elder Night Widow gave a quiet laugh.

”Take your time. We’d rather not discover a missing line after gathering the materials.”

”Neither would I.”

Demonic energy gathered at his fingertip.

He drew it across the page, leaving a fine black stroke. More followed, thickening through the curves and tapering neatly at their ends. The writing looked as though it had come from a calligrapher’s pen rather than his finger.

His control allowed him to move quickly without letting the energy damage the paper.

Soon, the first page was full.

Simon turned it with his thumb and continued.

The requirements alone occupied several pages once he included their preparation.

A Daemon’s heart that remained beating. Nine hundred and ninety-nine Two-Horned Demon hearts. A living vessel of the same race, at least a Minor Greater Demon, to receive the impurities.

Then there was the horned skull, the removal of his own horn, and ground soaked with the blood of at least ten thousand demons.

He wondered what expressions the elders would make when they reached that part.

He doubted the bloodshed alone would disturb them. The beating Daemon heart and the nine hundred and ninety nine hearts might deserve more attention.

Using one of their rare kind to create another was hardly a convenient way to increase their numbers.

And gathering everything still wouldn’t guarantee success.

His finger moved onto the next line.

Lilith was speaking within his mind, dictating the procedure and the arrangement of the inscriptions. He followed her instructions while checking them against what he remembered of Velmora.

As another page filled, his thoughts returned to Sonya and Akaza.

Lilith had told him he could help them become Daemons through his Seeds of Sin. They might not need to repeat his ritual at all.

He glanced briefly toward the five higher seats.

[These Grand Elders possess Seeds of Sin. The Sovereign should have them too. Why haven’t they used that method to turn more demons into Daemons?]

[Because it isn’t commonly known.]

[How uncommon?]

[My father created it when I was older. He never publicised it. Possessing a Seed of Sin doesn’t mean you know every way to use it.]

Simon’s fingertip completed a curved inscription.

That explained quite a bit.

[And before you become too pleased with yourself,] Lilith continued, [the method has its own requirements. You will not be creating Daemons as easily as snapping your fingers.]

[I didn’t think it would be that easy.]

[I’m certain you were hoping it was.]

He almost smiled.

[I am curious about how it works.]

[You will know later.]

Simon turned another page.

There were several things he wanted to ask, but doing so while recording a different method for twelve elders was probably unwise.

One question, however, couldn’t wait.

[Does giving them this ritual bother you?]

[No. It means little to me.]

[Even if they use it to produce more Daemons?]

[I know a method that would let The Abyss increase its number of Daemons much faster. Giving them that, however, could create problems.]

[For them or for us?]

[Possibly both.]

Simon considered her answer.

Lilith continued before he could press her.

[What you are writing is enough. If they are intelligent, they will find ways to adapt the ritual to better suit The Abyss. They don’t need me to do their thinking for them.]

His gaze passed over the requirements once more.

With their resources and knowledge, perhaps the elders would see possibilities that weren’t apparent to him.

He returned to the inscriptions.

For a while, the only sound in the hall was the turning of pages.

Simon recorded the remaining stages, including the dangers along the ancestral path and the need to return before the ritual could no longer sustain it. He checked the final diagram, then ran his attention through the completed pages.

Lilith had nothing to add.

He closed the book.

”I’m done.”

Grand Elder Dread Crown snapped his fingers.

The weight vanished from Simon’s palm, and the book appeared before the Grand Elder.

He opened it.

Simon watched his eyes move across the first page. At the requirements, a strange light flickered through them, disappearing before Simon could decide what it meant.

Dread Crown continued reading.

He lingered over the diagrams, went back once to an earlier passage, then closed the book and sent it toward Golden Tyrant.

She caught it and began her own examination.

Her fingers slowed at one page. She read it again before continuing.

The book passed next to Night Widow, then through the remaining Grand Elders before reaching the Ancestral Elders.

None offered a comment.

Bone Prophet compared two diagrams. White Death turned back to the requirements. By the time the last elder finished, Simon had given up trying to judge their opinions from their expressions.

The book returned to Dread Crown.

Silence followed.

Then Golden Tyrant spoke.

”Based on what is recorded here, I propose increasing his reward. Five items from the Myriad Vault instead of three.”

Simon blinked.

”I agree,” Bone Prophet said.

White Death nodded. The others gave their assent in turn.

Dread Crown rested his hand on the closed cover.

”Then you may choose five items from the vault.”

Simon looked between them.

That was it?

No questions about the sacrifices? No discussion of the heart?

They had spent considerably longer questioning how he had emptied one corpse.

He still didn’t know what the Myriad Vault contained, but five selections from their second-ranked treasury were hardly something to complain about.

”Thank you,” he said.

Golden Tyrant inclined her head.

”Enigma will explain your duties and the privileges available to you as a new member,” Night Widow said. ”And should you accept the Sovereign’s mission, you may begin once you receive the details tomorrow.”

”Understood. I’ll speak to him.”

”One of the guards outside can escort you to the Myriad Vault. Are you ready to enter it now?”

Simon nodded.

”I am.”

He had answered enough questions to earn a look at those treasures.

Night Widow’s eyes curved above her veil.

”You may leave, then.”

As Simon inclined his head, she spoke once more, her voice carrying a smile.

”And Blackmoon... welcome to The Abyss.”

Simon glanced at her for a second before he turned away and kept on walking.