"YuMMy BIrdY!" - Atlach-Nacha

"Time to move!" - Noire

I fired a super-charged arrow from my Thaumaturgy Bow at the giant spider's face, but it barely made a dent! Why must this happen to such a pretty fallen angel such as myself!?

"*Spit*!" - Atlach-Nacha

Ugh, disgusting! What is wrong with monster spiders and spitting threads? Can't they be like the usual kind? It's gross no matter where the web comes from. And even more so when it's used to block the path back to the gate!

I have heard that giant dinosaurs have small brains compared to their bodies, but this giant spider must not follow the same rules. Now there is no way back to the city! It's impressive how it could cover the whole entrance in one spit. In a weird, disgusting way. But I digress here. Time to fly!

"DI...wHErE's mY DInnEr!?" - Atlach-Nacha

Right below your feet and about to reach for safety. Even if I have to travel deeper into the gorge for that. My dumb luck. 

"TheRE!" - Atlach-Nacha

"Yes, yes. Keep your eyes peeled. All eight of them." - Noire

The giant spider noticed me, but I shot a new arrow of the Thaumaturgy-kind again toward it. One that is based on the new [Divine Grenade] skill I obtained during the whole "skill rebuild diet" project I went through. Ah, sweet Curse attribute. You will not be missed.

*FLASH!*

"my EYeS!!" - Atlach-Nacha

"Yes, thank you for watching. Goodbye, sucker-" - Noire

*CRASH*

Okay, what now?! I'd perfected that escape! So who is...why is there a second one of this guy?

"YuMMy BIrdY!" - Atlach-Nacha #2

Yes, that guy from before already said that-, and that's not the point! Forbidden Gorge or not, how can there be 2 of these giant monsters lurking down here!? And so close to the city entrance!

"heY! my BIrdY!" - Atlach-Nacha #1

"nO, my BIrdY!!" - Atlach-Nacha #2

"nO, my BIrdY!!!" - Atlach-Nacha #3

And here comes a third one! What bargain sale am I in!? I hate bargain sales. 

"TAKe thIs!" - Atlach-Nacha #1

"nO, THIs!!" - Atlach-Nacha #2

"my BIrdY!" - Atlach-Nacha #3

Now they're fighting among each other to decide who gets me. And I am NOT happy about it, and that fact is pissing me off! It works as a distraction, so I will not look my gift horse in the mouth. Later! Wouldn't wanna be you!

---

6 days before the release of the Invidia Overlord.

*Clank, clank, clank*

Day 2 of this horrible trip, and I hate it. Even more so than the robot army below!

Let's recap. After I fled from the three, count them, THREE giant siblings of Lunatic, I went further into the gorge. I wanted to fly out of this stinky mudhole, but the top of the gorge was blocked. By webs and barriers prepared by those idiotic dragon people! The barriers, at least. I think the webs come from those giant spiders.

I was lucky and found a haven that the spiders didn't find, but the constant clanking of the robots down below is messing with my beauty sleep! They are so going to pay. Death sentence!! 

But to be honest, I'm not sure if they could be considered "robots". They do not look much like those "drones" that Flint is always messing with. Not to mention those...rust buckets that... "black bacon" fellow from the Velantas islands always used against us.

The things down below look more like weird puppets. Are they controlled by the strings from those giant spiders from before? 's not likely. Lunatic is a Nacha as well, and she is far from delicate enough for stunts like that...

Now that I think about it, those giant spiders from before did not look that much alike to Lunatic. Sure, they are different species technically, but they are still on the same evolution line if their races' names are anything to guess from. But those spiders look like simple, enlarged copies of your common house spider. Lunatic has a more...crazy style than any of those three giants combined. When ignoring the crazy sizes, of course.

Speaking of the spider, what happened to Lunatic? Not to forget about the ogre-trio. There have been no paths to any secret underground tunnels on my way here so far, so I have had no opportunity to try and rescue all four of them. Not that I was going to try, but now I have an excuse. The underground would be too dusty for someone as fabulous as me. 

And there's that invincible blockhead Gron or Gran or whatever his name was. They are safer down there than I am up here, no matter how many broken bones they may or may not have...

"That is kind of unfair." - Noire

*Clank, clank...*

Uh-oh.

"ELIMINATE FLESH BAG." - Scary robots

"Me and my big mouth! And who're you calling a flesh bag!? That insult is better for someone like Mira or... JUST SHUT UP!!" - Noire

The robots paused from my verbal comeback...before they started to shoot blasts of high-pressure steam at me. Freakishly rude robots! But why steam?

I took to the sky to evade the steam blasts. They are many, but their aim is as horrible as their looks. Tch, if they were undead, then I could have sniped them all and harvested all their EXP. ...Oh, that would be bad. I would empty my stack of magical arrows if I did. Not only those I have made myself but also the ones stored in the Thaumaturgy Ring. 

*Brr*, that would have been bad. Even more so if one of the giant spiders decided to seek out what was making all the noise... And they could be on their way even now! Not good. Time to fly again! Grr, I hate this place! It is so Flugel unfriendly!

Eluding the bullets of hot and humid air, I fled through a passage in the rocky walls. A passage that was a bit too high above the ground that the machines stood on. This will give me some time while they are climbing the wall. 

Following the mental map that I had my [Divine Messenger (Crow)] create for me yesterday after I evaded the giant spiders, I tried to formulate a path that could shake off the machines.

I have no inkling if this path will lead me to safety, but compared to the tunnels and passages where the Divine Messengers' signals were sharply and brutishly cut off, I would say this passage, which the little crow managed to map until the skill effect worn out, this area is my greatest chance for escaping. 

After flying for some time, I could not hear the sound from the machines anymore. I seem to have evaded them for now, but it is best not to rest on my laurels. I have yet to discover a way out of this gorge. ...Oh, and finding the Treasure Tower. I should not forget that. If I fail this time, I am not sure if Garami will let herself be tricked by my transformation necklace...

Hmm, there is still something I think I am forgetting here... Not that it could be that important if I forgot it that easily. Moving on~. And hopefully, out of this passage. 

---

It took some time "spelunking", but the exit to the passage was finally in sight. With a snap of my finger, I called back the crow-shaped figures of divine energy, the effect of [Divine Messenger (Crow)], and made them vanish. These birds are quite handy. I am not sure why they are not more well-known. Maybe they are a recent addition due to the latest System Update?

But I digress. The important thing is that I have uncovered a new area of the gorge while also keeping my life intact. As for this new location...geh!?

What is this? Why is there a lake filled with Demonic Seawater in this gorge!? It is being maintained by a different batch of robots than the ones who chased me, but that tower placed in the Seawater... 

It looks the same as the one Garami had prepared for in the Demonic Sea located underneath Luxuria. Why are they of the same design? This is too much of a coincidence for it not to be intentional. 

Who was it that designed the tower back in Luxuria? ...I cannot remember. I was not part of that project. If I remember right, Garami only placed Flint and that strange, self-proclaimed god of a skeleton to work with that, along with henchmen of their choosing. 

Whatever is going on, I should give up on the Treasure Tower for now. The giant spiders and the armies of robotic puppets are too much for me alone. Plus, bringing back information about this tower takes priority-

*clack*

-! Jump!

*Slash!*

That was too close! A second too late, and losing one of my limbs would have been a best-case scenario! 

After jumping out from the passage exit high up on the wall of this new area, I went into flight and looked back at my assailant, who had not been able to escape my [Trouble Revelation]'s effect......

No way... That is...it is that samurai armor that supposedly handed over his sword to Mira! And it is even using the same, broken sword! Why is it here? Both the sword AND the armor. And...why is the armor looking as broken as the sword-?

"*ROAAAR*!" - ???

And just as I was about to knock an arrow at the armor, something attacked me from the sky. What is that? A...a scrap dragon...

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE? RAOOOUUUL!!" - Noire

That blasted piece of trash! He attacked me! And worst of all, I cannot feel our connection from my [Taming] skill! Oo-hoo, if that's how you would like to play it, then so be it!

Raoul came at me with killing intent visible even for me who is no battle maniac such as Mira or Lunatic, so I responded with the same attitude and a Thaumaturgy arrow fully charged to the point of bursting before I released it at the opened maws of Raoul's. 

The traitor was about to release a breath, but it managed to turn its neck around to evade the arrow. In return, its breath was released toward the wall, not hitting me by a mile. Its attack is strong, but it cannot release it in rapid haste, which gives me an edge here.

I released several arrows with undead-slaying attributes in quick succession at the ghost dragon, which did its best to fly around the arrows, not having the chance to fire back. Yes, of course, it would know my attacks are deadly against it. I know everything Raoul can do... Or, I should. I didn't know it could cut off our contract like this.

But Raoul does not know everything I can do either. Especially after the forced skill rebuild that I had to take after the Curse attribute was turned into a forbidden attribute for us Celestials. The "skill diet" is still showing wonders for my performance. 

As the battle dragged on, feathers started to fall from my wings as I kept on firing at the traitor in our dogfight. Just as I had managed to trick Raoul into flying closer to them...the bastard noticed my plan and dodged the feathers. Tch. If it had hit, the attack effect of the [Fallen Angel's Magical Feathers] skill would have kicked in and inflicted magic-type Holy damage on the traitor! 

But its big body is making it impossible for it to keep on this dogfight. Especially since its big body is constantly in danger of getting hit by one of my arrows, or maybe one of my feather "mines". Hehehe, I am invincible when it comes to aerial fights in closed environments! Even more so against an undead opponent! Now, give up and accept my vengeance-

*BOOOM!*

H-huh? That was not Raoul? Then who...the samurai armor!? The bastard jumped into the feathers on its account and detonated several of them! It created an escape path for Raoul! And the traitorous bastard of a bargain bin is using the chance its partner granted him. Not on my-

"ATTACK FLESH BAG. ATTACK FLESH BAG. GIVE SUPPORT TO NECRO TOKEN TnN-D01." - Robots

Argh, more steam bullets?! And when did the robots from before reach this location? The ones who worked close to the Demonic Sea are gone, replaced by the steam bullet shooters. Now I am the one who is busy evading everything! But I am not letting Raoul-

*KA-BOOOM!*

...It seems I do not need to do anything against Raoul. Because he is literally crashing and burning. Is there someone else on my side here?

The robots paused their attacks in surprise over Raoul's sudden and unexpected demise as they turned their heads toward the location from where the gigantic fireball originated. There is a human shadow up on a mechanical platform on the wall. 

"Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it is ME!" - ???

...I think I will not be friends with...whoever this poser is. 

---

Skill List:

Title List:

Trait List:

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