Dimensional Descent

Aina felt as though all the wind had been knocked out of her. The faint light of hope she thought she could grasp on to suddenly went up in smoke, disappearing like a fleeting fragrance in the wind.

After a moment, the male Invalid finally recovered from his shock.

That last struggle of Aina's, especially the shout, had actually put a dent in its stamina. Though it wasn't as exaggerated as him being on his last legs, at least a third of his reserves had been sapped up.

In truth, Aina's breakthrough wouldn't have made a difference. It was the final act of defiance that truly impacted him.

But, it seemed that this final push had truly taken whatever she had left out.

When the Puppet Master recovered, its gaze narrowed, a slight hint of ferocity hidden within their depths.

"It seems that you don't understand how to be grateful, what a shame."

The male Invalid reached up from Aina's cheek, ripping the crown from her head.

"Oh?"

At that moment, the control the male Invalid had on Aina increased by more than tenfold. Whereas Aina could at least struggle and resist before, right now, she couldn't even breathe without the Invalid's permission.

"So that's how it is. Clever, clever. You diverted some of your mental strength into hiding the grade of this treasure from me so that you could struggle in secret. I thought that your mental strength was nothing compared to me to begin with, but to think it was even worse than I originally believed."

The Invalid examined the headpiece closer. After a moment, it began to laugh again.

"A Quasi Bronze Treasure? An one that boosts mental strength as well? You are truly my guardian angel!"

The Invalid's laughter seemed even more uproarious than before. But, it only made sense. Such a treasure to a mental strength expert like him would be like giving wings to a tiger.

It already allowed someone with such poor Soul Force like Aina to struggle against a near Fifth Dimensional entity like it. What kind of amplification effects would it have on him?

hesitation, the Invalid slipped the headpiece onto its head. Though it was somewhat feminine, it

Aina like a sow would take decades, even centuries to begin to bear fruit, the benefit of a Quasi Bronze treasure

Invalid was certain that the Heavens were smiling down on it before, it was convinced without a shadow

"AH! YES! YES! YES!"

sturdier. It was

calmed. It looked toward the girl before it

aren't obedient. But

Invalid picked up the knife on the table and spun it in the air, allowing to fall

blade embedding itself into wood sounded again. But this time, it had severed the fingers from

throw her into the pits of hell. It felt as though everything revolved around the torture she was

to turn toward it as it picked up one of her fingers, sniffing at the dripping blood as an intoxicated look surfaced

crimson liquid falling

"Oh my!"

of the Invalid came back, soaring to towering heights even past where it had been

"Magnificent! Wonderful! Unbelievable!"

could no longer hold itself back. Its teeth shone beneath the crimson

soul. She

fear, the helplessness, the despair… It swarmed around her like inner devils looking to

can't die here! I

continued to roar these words in her mind, the tears of blood continuously streaming down her face. But, it simply didn't seem to matter what she thought

there be such a delicacy

the haunting thoughts eating at

what about her mother? What about

root in her

a young man's smile suddenly occupied her mind. Though it was less charming than that of the Invalid's, to Aina, it was several times better. She didn't know how much effort the young man put into that smile, but just by gazing upon it, it felt as though she

couldn't quite see the rest of the young man's face. Her mind

'I can't die here…'