The water around Giaya shivered as the [Ritual of Sacrifice] took hold. The stolen life force of her two subordinates had bloated her presence into something monstrous, a flickering silhouette of jagged scales and dark lightning.
"[Activating 'Demonic Nymera's Technique: Third Form: Soul-Cleaving Slash' Lvl 9!]"
She became a blur of violent motion. Her spear carved through the sea with such predatory speed that even the water seemed to scream. She tore through the Dokryong line like a shark through a net. Wilong, Leo, and Thorvek were all caught in the wake of her frenzy. They weren't nearly fast enough to parry the sheer weight of her strikes, and each took a heavy blow that sent them spiraling into the silt.
"[Notice: The Status Effect 'Corruption' has been applied!]"
The wounds she left behind weren't clean. A sickly, black ichor began to eat away at the flesh and energy of her victims, a necrotic rot that drained their strength by the second. It didn't kill them instantly, but it was more than enough to render them useless in a fight. It was an impressive display of raw combat ability and veteran battle experience.
It was time for me to participate in personally.
"[Activating the 4-Star Barrier, 'Sanctum of the Living Meridian'!]"
"[Activating 'Moon Imprint' Lvl 1!]"
"[Notice: Your 'Barrier' Skills have been greatly enhanced!]"
A massive, pulsing dome of silver light expanded from my position, covering the entire battlefield. The 'Sanctum' didn't just block physical attacks; it regulated the very flow of energy within its walls. The stabilizing energy acted as an immune system for the area, actively fighting the 'Corruption' eating away at my allies and grounding their erratic energies.
"You!!... Who the hell are you!?" Giaya sneered. She turned her intense, blood-red gaze toward me, her teeth bared in a snarl.
I didn't give her the satisfaction of an answer.
"[Activating The Exclusive Skill, 'Crimson Constellation Sovereign: Chains of the Forgotten Deity' Lvl 1!]"
Ethereal chains, forged from the primordial weight of 'Chaos', erupted from the space around her. They lashed onto her limbs, binding her instantly. The 'Chaos' energy acted like a universal solvent against her 'Demonic Energy', neutralizing her Skills and pinning her soul to the seabed.
"!!??? What is this—"
For the first time, Giaya's mask of arrogance cracked. Confusion and a cold, creeping fear seeped into her expression as she felt my energy. It was a power that shouldn't exist, a 'Chaos' that the Tower's archives initially had no record of.
"Me? I am just a Ranker climbing the Tower," I said, walking slowly through the silent water toward her bound form. "But I have a question for you, Giaya Nymera. Is being a 'Dark Disciple' truly worth every sacrifice?"
".... What would you know about my sacrifices, you damn Bastard!!??" she hissed, fighting against the chains with a fury that made the links hum.
"I know that you accepted the offer of the {Demons} to save your clan from annihilation," I said, leaning in close until our eyes met. "But look at them now. Were you and your clan actually 'saved'?"
In my 104 VR accounts, the Nymera were known as the peaceful, friendly neighbors of the sea, a stark contrast to the competitive Dokryong. There was no way a tribe that loved peace would shake hands with the {Demons} unless their backs were against a wall of obsidian. This was a development I hadn't seen in the game, but it made perfect sense given how I'd already begun to warp the Tower's destiny.
My [Eyes of Gluttony] remained active, piercing through her surface thoughts and into the core of her memories. I saw fragments of her past, the arrival of the {Demons}, the Nymera's brave but futile resistance, and finally, the ultimatum. To save her people from a complete slaughter, Giaya finally gave in. She had taken the title of 'Dark Disciple' in a desperate gamble for survival. The {Demons} had spared their lives, yes, but they had turned the peaceful Nymera into hollowed-out puppets, forcing them to commit atrocities that would make their ancestors weep in their graves.
As my [Chains of the Forgotten Deity] tightened, the 'Demonic Energy' sustaining her began to thin. For a fleeting, fragile moment, the 'Dark Disciple' receded, and the 'Naga Giaya Nymera' resurfaced. Her eyes cleared, and a single, heavy tear escaped, lost instantly in the ocean.
"Please.... Help.. me.. I'm sorr—"
She couldn't finish. The 'Dark Disciple' title flared back to life, the corruption reasserting its grip on her mind. It wasn't a split personality; it was a total systemic infection that turned her into a more 'Demonic' version of herself.
But those few seconds were enough. She had remembered. She had felt the crushing weight of regret and realized the bitter truth: her choices had only made things worse. In that brief moment of clarity, she finally realised that a clean death would have been a thousand times more merciful than being a pawn for the Devil.