Iris opened her eyes. The world had regained its vivid colours. She still stood atop the pyramid, but the everchanging orb had shattered into countless pieces, piling in front of her. The surging pale light had dissipated. Only a few afterglows remained, weakly illuminating the interior, showing the grand yet fading aura of the crumbling civilisation.
After she reached the Transformation Phase, Iris quickly ascended back into the material plane. The instant she connected with the Shadow Plane, an unseen, unavoidable sensation manifested. It permeated her body and soul, guiding her towards the other Fragments, leading them to combine.
The oppressive feeling of getting watched made Iris shiver. She understood that the holders of the Fragments were strong, too strong for the current her. Lilith had explicitly told her not to enter the Shadow Plane before she reached the peak of the Transformation Phase, but she got no choice. Without strength, how could she protect her family from the upcoming chaos?
"If my understanding is correct, the Sinking should happen soon," Iris said. "Please let my commotion be least noticeable."
Iris sighed as the indignation rose in her heart. She hated that she was letting circumstances beyond her control dictate her fate. There was no knowing if it was right or wrong. No use regretting now; only forwards she should go.
After the afterglows dispersed out of the stone building, the bright radiance of the outside gradually faded. Darkness descended throughout the ancient graveyard, bringing in the cold, serene night, closing the curtain of this civilisation. A sense of desolation rose from the cracks of the buildings and shrouded the atmosphere.
Looking back at the path she walked, Iris absorbed the strange feeling and digested the hidden meaning inside it. Her heart turned lonely but never faltered. Her resolve only intensified with each viewing of the tragic end of the once-glorious race.
"Today, I am your pawn, but one day, I'll fly out of this chessboard," Iris said as she looked at the dust of the everchanging orb. "Either that or I shall meet the same end as you."
Motivated, Iris faintly smiled. She quickly walked around the pyramid and descended the other way, moving towards the back of the stone building. The small torches on the walls shone over a path which led Iris towards an inconspicuous metallic door.
Unlike the crude graveyard, the metallic door was neat, with countless tiny gears engraved onto its surface. Though they ceaselessly moved in an intricate system, they emitted no sound and produced no vibration.
It reminded Iris of the gigantic gate at the entrance of the Puppeteer Legacy Ground.
Iris slowly pulled open the metallic gate. Before her breakthrough, she had to exert herself to open it. Slime Girl lacked explosive strength and was fragile, but with the power of a Transformation Phase Slime Girl, Iris easily condensed her force without shattering her membrane. The thick metal gate felt like a hollow wooden door.
On the other side was a small valley surrounded by high rising hills and waterfalls. Iris walked on a small floating track and stopped in the middle before looking down. Below her, a tranquil lake absorbed the waterfalls, bubbling with fish and water plants, emitting relaxing flowery scents.
After surveying the surrounding, Iris smiled and relaxed her guard. She descended along a small trail towards the lake below. Though the surface of the lake was misty, with constant droplets jumping from the impact of the waterfall, Iris felt peace resonating with her mind.
Before coming to the Puppeteer Legacy Ground, Iris had gathered sufficient information. Safe Zone was one of the features of the Legacy Ground. When one passed their test, they would find a Safe Zone, where they could rest and eat and play to their fill. There would be no danger, no enemies, no time limit.
In the Safe Zone, one would receive the reward from completing their test and pick one of the two options: continue deeper into the Legacy Ground or leave.
Since coming into the Legacy Ground, Iris had met with multiple strange events. She had to push herself beyond her limit constantly. Though she was a Slime Girl and couldn't get physically tired, her mind and soul would still experience fatigue, especially after two intense battles.
Once she confirmed that she was indeed in the Safe Zone, Iris sat at the edge of the road and submerged her legs into the lake. A comforting chill permeated her body, shivering her membrane. The fish gradually surrounded and nibbed on her legs, tickling her. Some managed to enter her body and swam around, moving up to her waist and chest.
It was an unusual feeling, but Iris didn't mind it. She stared at the lake in front of her, thinking about when Dulcie teased her in the lake. The anger of then had transformed into fondness of now. Iris didn't know how much she treasured her family until she had to part with them.
"How would my life be if my first family is this good to me?" Iris mumbled. She decided not to think about impossible thoughts. "Lord, you've really changed me. I used to be able to suppress these emotions, but now they are overflowing out of my lonely heart."
Iris closed her eyes and leant forwards. She fell into the lake and sank deeper into the blue depth. The colourful fish and water plants drifted around her as she immersed herself in the vast currents, permeating her consciousness into every bit of water. The quiet yet lively scenery brightened her mind and healed her soul.
In the comforting darkness, Iris fell asleep and dreamt. She got up from her bed as Elizabeth and went along the day as usual. She occasionally met Herrifer and tried to talk to her, but Herrifer always rejected her. She didn't get mad and only smiled wryly.
Though she couldn't get Herrifer to forgive her, she didn't mind and still secretly helped Herrifer. The day moved, and the night arrived. Tired, Elizabeth sank into her bed and fell asleep.
Iris woke up and emerged from the lake, retracting her consciousness, expelling the fish and plants in her body. She looked at her reflection in the water and sighed, her expression showing profound emotions.
"Even my dream is reminding me," Iris said. "I won't make the same mistake again."
Iris ascended to the floating path, standing before two magical doors, one in the front, one in the back. They manifested without any supporting structure and lacked any connected passage, but Iris knew they would bring her to where she desired.
Above the doors, black ink characters twisted and turned, assembling into sentences of the ancient language. Because of Quasi, Iris could read them without any magical translation.
The golden door in the front would take her into the deeper part of the Legacy Ground. The silver door in the back would bring her out. Iris didn't hesitate and turned around, preparing to leave. She didn't want to risk her life anymore. She lacked any motivation to continue.
She just wanted to be with her family.
As she walked towards the silver door, the Safe Zone faintly trembled. The golden door quivered and opened. Iris paused, getting anxious. She turned around and stared at the unfolding scene.
The space inside the door enlarged, expanding into a separate dimension. Unlike the serene valley of the Safe Zone, the world ahead was dim and dismal. It was a world of broken stone houses and rising smokes, emitting the sour odour of gunpowder and metallic burns. Explosions occasionally resounded as bullets and boulders flung in the sky, crashing onto the ground and hills.
Iris held her breathes and shielded her heart. The Shadow Heart Core inside her trembled, warning her of the danger of the next floor. It was an all-out war between unseen, unknown forces with power that could threaten her.
Iris retracted her eyes, but her gaze inevitably locked onto the few colourful figures deep inside the golden door. Her pupils contracted as her mind quivered, her thoughts turning complicated.
Deep within the world of firearms, the black-scaled Snake Girl fought against a division of black puppets. They held strange rifles and fired at her. The lead bullets flew in the air, creating muffled noises.
Behind the Snake Girl, the Lily Girl held a delicate wooden staff and chanted. Her lovely voice resounded, reverberating with the moisture in the air. The Corruption Power flowed from her arms to her wand, generating a translucent stream which formed a barrier in front of the Snake Girl.
The water barrier absorbed the bullets and flickered, dimming as the damage accumulated. The Beetle Girl beside the Snake Girl stepped forwards, turned her back, and spread her armoured wings. Though they were tattered and full of holes, she didn't hesitate to block the shots with her body.
The three Monster Girls were in danger. Their Corruption Power was running low, but they couldn't gain advantages over the black puppets. The might of the firearms surpassed their imagination. It could deal devastating damage despite the lack of magic.
Without any breakthrough, the group of Monster Girls slowly retreated deeper into the world, gradually leaving Iris's sight. The deadlock was only prolonging their inevitable defeat. The chance of them getting wiped out was high.
Iris remembered them. They were the group of Monster Girls who asked her to join them when she was heading towards the lowest Layer. Because of their extraordinary persistence, their appearances and voices still lingered in Iris's mind.
Should she help them?
She had merely interacted with them once. They might not even remember her. She had her worries while they had theirs. They could still hold on and might find opportunities to reverse the situation. If she mixed with them, she wouldn't be able to cooperate with them.
Her secrets were numerous and hazardous. Her involvement would bring calamities to them. Their future would be bleak, so bleak that death might be a blessing.
Iris bit her lips. When she looked at the three Monster Girls, she saw in them her family and sisters. If her family were there, she would undoubtedly rush in and stake her life.
But these people weren’t her family.
Since when had she become so cold? Had she changed? Could she really live happily, knowing that she could save them but chose not to?
"Overseer, you are heartless," Iris said, "but I am not!"
Iris sprinted towards the golden door and crossed into the world of endless wars. The golden door immediately shut behind her and disintegrated into countless glowing particles.
The moment she entered the second floor, the world trembled. An anomaly had appeared; the difficulty of the test needed to be adjusted.
A heavy feeling descended onto Iris as she rushed towards the three Monster Girls. Her heart shivered as dread and anxiety ruptured.
The leader of the black puppet suddenly discarded its rifle and took out a grenade launcher. It aimed at the crumbling water barrier and fired. A black cylindrical explosive spun in the air, approaching the water barrier.
The world seemed to slow down as Iris reached her hand forwards, condensed a slime spear, and hurled it towards the explosive. She closed her eyes and prayed, but she lacked the power to change anything. They were too far apart.
"Dodge!" she shouted. Her voice attracted all attention.
The Beetle Girl shuddered. It was too late. She decisively shoved the Snake Girl with all her strength. The Snake Girl crashed against the Lily Girl and fell a few metres away.
The water barrier shattered from the bullets. The explosive glowed and burst into a powerful storm of shrapnel and flames. The black and orange waves of death engulfed the Beetle Girl, who smiled at her friends, her tears falling on her cheeks.
The shockwave enveloped her heroic figure, annihilating her in an instant.
Taverius· Aug 19, 2021
Mortrexo· Sep 11, 2021
