Actually, Alexei was not surprised that the other party knew about his Gift. Before he fainted, his greatest blunder was not hiding the precious gem from sight.
He recalled that the Gift had helped restore a bit of his strength which meant that no matter how badly incapacitated he was, he could have still removed it from his person or buried it somewhere else. Yet he did not. Obviously, the appearance of the blue gem greatly whittled down his alertness to the point that he dared to lose consciousness out in the open.
'So careless.' He sighed to himself.
Imagining someone other than Mikaela discovering him honestly frightened him. Gifts could neither be stolen nor destroyed. But there was no way to tell what a regular person would do to a severely incapacitated Gift owner, especially in places like this. According to lore, races living in the abyss led miserable lives hence they held endless envy and malice towards people residing in the surface world. Thinking about this really put him in a gloomy mood.
'I should really be happy that the one who found me is a good soul.'
However before he could sigh in relief, a thought flickered in his mind.
What if because of the divine gem, Mikaela suspected that he lied about being a slave? It was obvious that he was not a local. But was it believable that somebody from the servant class could suddenly make Sovereigns look at him with favor?
Feeling a sense of urgency, he hurriedly explained to the woman that he got the Gift after escaping from a Boss' lair. He added that he was not sure how and why it came to him. The other party did not respond, looking like she did not really care.
But Alexei was not at ease, so he did his best to describe what happened when he first arrived in this world. He even mentioned his former Master who was a powerful being as the reason why he knew about Gifts.
'Will you shut up?' Her eyes seemed to have suddenly said this.
His incessant rambling could only stop when he realized that his new boss really did not care and that she was slowly getting irritated.
Although his companion immediately reverted to being expressionless, he was sure that the previously annoyed look in her gaze was not an illusion.
Minutes, later, they stood in front of a closed double door. Its height was the same as the walls surrounding the town. "We're here."
Mikaela showed curiosity upon seeing the Tower up close which they somehow managed to approach without being barred by anyone.
The reason nobody blocked them was simple. She displayed her Gift, a beautiful pale green gemstone that looked like an emerald slotted into a brooch. In this world where people could not enter a god's eyes, she showed that she was different because she was blessed by the Sovereign of the Wind. She made everyone know that a deity from the surface world blessed her personally with the power to harness the element.
As if not content with that, Mikaela even left her sharp aura unmasked to let people know that she was strong even without her Gift.
Naturally, the effect of Mikaela's move was very good. The majority of those still living outside the Tower were mostly not powerful warriors and challengers. So now it came as no surprise that even those guild members who were looking indifferently at the chaotic crowd earlier clamored to make way for her. Obviously, no one would want to mess with a powerful combatant.
'This person is really different from the one I remember...' A sigh secretly escaped from Alexei's mouth. He meant it in a good way.
The one he currently called boss was very decisive but prudent. Yet at the same time, she was confident of her strength and would not shy away from letting others see it.
What she just did just now was something he dared not do because he did not have the strength to back it up. Yes, a Sovereign bestowed a Gift upon him. Its blue radiance under the starlight would not lose out against the green gem on Mikaela's collar. But that was it. If he and Mikaela really fought, his Gift would just end up as a decoration as he gets pulverized by one of her lazy punches. It was because he understood this that he could calmly follow Mikaela's earlier advice.
Now that he thought about it, was he also to enter the Tower in his current state?
The future Knight leader noticed his stare and raised an eyebrow. Alexei smiled embarrassedly then looked around to observe the other people that successfully entered the core area. His heart suddenly started to beat fast due to nervousness. The place was noisy and crowded with people. From various towns, challengers from various races gathered.
"Milady, I heard from other locals that once you enter, you won't be able to go outside unless you complete a few 'abyssal cycles'." Alexei opened up a topic in an attempt to dispel the faint anxiety welling up from within.
Mikaela turned to him. "This is my first time hearing about it. What's an abyssal cycle?"
"It's a period of time when the Tower would require all challengers to clear a series of floors that contain traps and enemies different from the previous cycles. Nobody knows what changes each cycle would bring. Everyone could only try to predict through previous patterns. But anyway, the main goal is to clear all floors."
Alexei paused to make sure that he got the woman's attention. "Sounds simple. So what's the catch?"
Satisfied with the urging look thrown at him, he spoke again.
"It is that time and time again has proven that the Tower is something beyond mortal's wisdom. Patterns found are not always reliable. All floors might have bosses only, I mean, those legendary beings that have powers rivaling an entire army and which treat each floor as their territories. Some might contain several types of mobs. I'm referring to those monsters that move in hordes or packs and have numbers that could reach hundreds or even thousands per floor. This is why challengers form groups of guilds and create teams that specialize in tackling bosses or clearing many mobs."
Actually, what he just disclosed did not come out of any local's mouth. He pulled it all out from his memory.
In-game, the abyss he knew was actually the Tower itself. He did not know about the vast region outside the Tower which turned out to be another part of the abyssal world.
Players usually access this Tower through a portal northwest of the Ventus nation. Once they entered they could clear floors full of traps and monsters for rewards. The characters they could bring inside were limited to ten so players must use their brains well and form teams of characters that have both good single target damage and area-of-effect damage.
They could exit whenever they wish, but if they don't complete the cycle within a week, the abyss would reset and they would be forced to restart from the beginning.
Of course, for players, this would only mean a loss of rewards. But for challengers of this world, failing to complete a cycle might straight out lead to death.
"They sure know a lot." After digesting what he said, she commented nonchalantly.
Her words made Alexei stiffen for a while. He already said that there was a way to leave the Tower, but obviously, only monstrous geniuses could do that. Was she doubting whether these people would really disseminate precious intel to let even random outsiders like them inquire about it?
Thankfully, the woman was more curious about the Tower itself so she did not pursue how the natives outside learned so much about the place.
"Al, continue. What else should I know about the Tower."
After giving it a thought, he chose to shake his head. "I'm sorry, milady. That's all I learn from those locals that I asked."
Mikaela raised a brow. "None of them told you more about the groups and guilds? I thought they purposely shed light about the inner workings of the Tower so they could gain more fame and traction?"
Alexei knew a few stuff about the monsters that might appear. However, he would sound suspicious if he told her this.
About those groups, honestly, he had no idea. He only heard from some guards that these people existed, but there was nothing about how they survived inside the Tower.
With a wry smile, he said, "Sadly, the ones I asked look like they are not exactly welcoming of strangers so I suspect they deliberately withheld some key information from me."
"That's a pity."
The future Knight leader lost her interest and redirected her gaze to the door that had yet to open.
So just like that, more than a minute passed in peace and silence.
There were still a few minutes before the shadow of the tower would cast in front of it. The few hundred people around them subconsciously quietened down as if to mentally prepare for the Tower's first challenge.
The two of them did not intend to mess up the atmosphere around them so they sat down on the ground several dozen meters away from the entrance and quietly looked around.
Soon, Alexei's interest was piqued when he saw movements from the locals in front.
If his guess was right, they were from the controlling guild of Junius Tower. For some time, these people engaged in a discussion while wearing solemn expressions on their faces. Then they began to move logs and woods and various equipment. In no time, the locals managed to set up a stage-like platform on the right side of the double door.
'What's that for?' He wondered.
Since this group of people from various races were not being discreet with their actions, many curious eyes began to focus on them.
Then they heard a booming voice speak in a commanding tone, "Move. The hour is upon us. There can't be any delay!"
Alexei then watched with a solemn expression as several folks in armors dragged malnourished slaves into a raised platform. He could not help but furrow his brows. None of those slaves wore any expression on their faces. When they reached the stage, they let themselves be manhandled and thrown on the floor.
"What are they doing?" He saw Mikaela frown as well.
A demihuman with beetle horns and bluish grey carapace on his back spoke next to Alexei. "Oh. They are starting the sacrificial ceremony. You guys are not locals? This thing is regular here."
'Sacrifice...'
Almost instantly, the surrounding air became heavy. Alexei got reminded of the pitiful kids in the Dark Palace. He remembered that once, the dark magician Marlon called the act of killing young human kids a sacrifice or offering for their great cause.
His eyes followed the frowning woman who suddenly walked in front with her wind-element Gift displayed.
Others instinctively made way for her. Alexei helplessly looked up at the dark sky, then walked in big strides to catch up to her.
"What is the meaning of this?" This time, Mikaela's tone was laced with frost.
When Alexei caught up to her, a fishy yet metallic smell wafted over his nose. It stood out despite the place having mixed odors and stenches from the various races and mounts.
Blood? And a huge amount at that?
'No... Maybe I'm guessing it wrong?'
The young man instinctively pushed away a few demihumans to quickly get to the front. It did not take ten seconds for him to verify that all the slaves had been killed, reduced to lifeless corpses. Their blood slowly created a red pool on the raised platform and under it. The ones who killed them stepped on their corpses to make sure they were really dead. None of them thought of closing those widely opened lifeless eyes.
The sight made him hold his breath. It was extremely absurd and disturbing. What did these people do to end up this way?
Behind Alexei, several angry voices rang.
"Bastard! Are you blind?"
"You stepped on my beautiful tail!"
"This foolish human! How dare you? Do you know who I am? Hey, are you listening?"
However, his ears focused on the front where a man that had absurdly pale skin, sharp fangs, and wearing a black tunic-like garment replied to Mikaela.
"Look, the door acknowledged the sacrifices and began to open."
Actually, it did not even sound like a proper reply to Mikaela.
The man had his back facing everyone. This creature first awaited the Tower entrance's full reveal before he turned around. The moment the man faced them, it became clear he was the one who killed the seven human slaves. The thin blade in his left hand still had fresh blood tracing its sharp edge.
Alexei did not know where to look. He could not describe what he felt about those corpses on the ground. But the faces of those surrounding him and the other humans made him disgusted.
"So..." He heard Mikaela's cold voice echoing softly. "This is all part of a ritual?"
"Yes, this is. Every opening day must be accompanied by the sight of blood to fortify the will of every challenger and to get acknowledgment from the Tower itself."
Her eyes darkened as she asked, "Did somebody from the Tower order this? Or was it the Tower itself?"
"The Tower itself. A sacrificial ceremony is a must to gain both security and opportunity. The wisdom and grace of our predecessors should not be doubted. They are martyrs and exalted beings who transmitted their precious knowledge to us who lived outside the Tower." The pale-skinned vampire paused to give Mikaela a meaningful glance. "I'm only explaining this to you since I know you're strong and worthy."
She indifferently replied, "No need to lie, it's because you know I'm from the mortal realm."
A brief moment of silence passed. Without them noticing, the rambunctious crowd had quietened down to not disturb the talk of the two.
Inhaling deeply, the woman stepped forward, "So what's your name, vampire?"
"You can call me Dark Priest Petrova, Blessed of the human race," The vampire spread his arms and replied with a warm smile. When he called her a Blessed, it was the same as acknowledging her previous remark.
Mikaela nodded after giving everyone a cold glance. "I thank you for enlightening me. But I think something is wrong."
When she finished speaking, gusts of wind suddenly clustered around her. As if she was enjoying the songs of the wind, she closed her eyes and let her long blonde hair dance gracefully.
Not long after, she vanished from sight.
From her previous location, Alexei and the others saw a flash of green light that blinked then turned into clusters of green balls of light. These balls of light floated slowly in multiple directions, moving like they had a mind of their own.
Soon, a bluish-green glowing circle formed underneath those near the platform.
At that moment, the gentle sounds of wind filled the place. The breeze was very soothing to their exposed skin and also carried the scent of flowers. If not for the bleak sky above, Alexei would have thought that they were not in the abyss where life hardly thrives, but in a prosperous farming village in Mavria.
"... Where is she?"
However, while the scene before him was very moving, Alexei knew that things were not so simple. He had not yet forgotten that when those were talking to each other, Mikaela's eyes were as cold as an iceberg. It was a gaze he never knew he would one day see from this future Knight leader. Obviously, the deaths of their fellow humans offended her.
When he finally recalled where he had seen the decorative patterns on the light-covered ground before, his eyes widened in shock.
'Mikaela Hanover's ultimate?' His heart suddenly palpitated.
Just then, her voice calmly echoed. "Seven? Just seven? I think the sacrificial offerings are too few."
As if to confirm his guess, a bright green light suddenly burst out. It expanded rapidly, the radius was so wide that it covered several dozen meters from his location. The light was too blinding that those nearby hurriedly shielded their eyes from it. At the same time, painful screams and grunts rang in succession, briefly drowning out the sounds from the opening door.
"Priest Petrova, I hope you won't mind me stepping up to make the numbers suffice."
Moving down his arm that instinctively covered his eyes, Alexei's vision slowly returned.
He saw Mikaela take a step towards the fully opened doors.
"Al, let's go."
"... Yes, milady." Alexei swallowed.
In front of him, the arrogant smile on the dark priest's mouth completely disappeared. The others, bewildered by the unexpected addition to the ceremony, also stood there, too shocked to speak.
Several more corpses joined the ones already strewn below the platform. Unlike the human slaves that at least died in one piece, the demihumans and people of other races that fell victim to Mikaela's blade looked more miserable. None of their corpses were intact. Those who were near her did not even leave a corpse and not even Alexei knew how they turned into countless green particles that gradually scattered in the wind.
When the surviving locals realized what happened, flames of fury burned in their hearts. Yet when the woman swept her gaze around with a wind sword in hand, fear got into them and so nobody spoke out their anger and unwillingness.
In the next few seconds, only the sounds of her footsteps could be heard.
Alexei cast the vampire a glance and then silently followed after her.
The nearer they drew to the Tower's massive entrance, the more he appeared lost in thoughts. He stared at Mikaela Hanover's back.
'... If she could move that fast, then...?'
A more complicated expression flickered in his eyes as he threw one last glance at the corpses of those slaves.