Amaris wiped away her tears, determined to fulfil her vow. She knew joining the angels was her only chance to obtain the power and support she needed to avenge her parents. The next seven days were filled with internal struggle as she weighed the risks and benefits of aligning herself with the celestial beings.
Finally, the day arrived for Amaris to decide. She returned to the Crystal Church, clutching the silver ring tightly. As she entered, Uriel appeared before her once again. "Have you made your choice, human?" he asked.
Amaris took a deep breath and nodded. "I accept your offer, Uriel. I will help you in your fight against the demons, and in return, I ask for your help in avenging my parents. You don't have to kill them, but have a general understanding of their location."
Uriel nodded his head and said, "Very well, human. We angels honour the deals we make. We will assist you in finding your parents' murderers. But first, let us discuss the details of your work."
He grabbed her by the arm and took her to a room with a massive map of the world on the wall. The map was covered in red dots, which Uriel explained represented demon strongholds. Amaris stared at the map, her heart beating rapidly.
"Human, we angels lack manpower. The places marked in red are where high-ranking demons lay. We angels don't dare to get close without a game plan, so stay away from them. If you encounter a rank 20 demon or below, kill it. Here is a list of attributes, strengths, and weaknesses, so you know what to look for." Uriel said. Amaris looked at the paper and read through it.
The paper had a basic understanding of the elements like water counters, fire, light counters, darkness, lightning counters, water, etc. It also had info on demons. Amaris tried to memorize everything and nodded her head. There were roughly 252 unique races of demons in this world, each with different strengths and weaknesses. There is way too much information for her to remember in one day. Hell, give her a year she wouldn't even remember.
"You will head to 'underground Bloodhole' for cleaning. The strongest demon there is a rank 31, so try to avoid it as much as possible." Uriel said, pointing to a location on the map. Amaris gulped and nodded her head. Underground Bloodhole is an extensive cave system where demons come to hunt and eat. For the rank 31 demon, there is a creature called Ahkiyyini.
There was a picture of the Ahkiyyini in the paper given by Uriel, and it looked like it was constructed from living ice, embodying the bone-chilling essence of the unforgiving Arctic cold. The bulbous head featured pale, almost transparent flesh stretching tautly over its deformed features.
Its eyes, if they could even be called such, held an eerie and piercing blue hue, akin to two frozen sapphires devoid of any semblance of warmth or emotion. However, the most unsettling aspect of this entity was its gaping maw, a grotesque void that extended impossibly wide. Within this horrific void lived sharp, jagged, icicle-like teeth that seemed to multiply and contort in impossible directions.
Its body consisted of many ice-covered tentacles, each with razor-sharp claws that could easily rip through flesh and bone. It uses these appendages to propel itself through the frigid air, allowing it to move at speeds far beyond anything Amaris could hope to match. Its sheer size also allows it to cover immense distances in a short amount of time.
"The Ahkiyyini is an ice element, so fire is recommended if you wish to kill it. But with your strength, you can only kill a level 15 demon at most." Uriel said. Amaris clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She knew she was weak compared to these demons, but she refused to give up.
"Don't worry, human, you will gain power over time. Just focus on killing low-ranking demons and do not anger a rank 20 demon, and you'll be fine." Uriel reassured Amaris. Amaris calmed down a little and nodded her head. She memorised the Ahkiyyni attributes and weaknesses and walked out of the palace.
She first headed to the small shack she lived in for a week, took the only photo she had of her parents and herself, and stored it in the ring. She exited the rundown oak house and looked up into the sky, her fist clenched tightly, making the palm of her hand bleed.
Zaleck watched all this in Amaris's soul, appeared in her consciousness, and spoke to her.
"Amaris, close your eyes and come into your inner consciousness. That's if you wish to live."
Amaris was startled when she heard her voice and entered her inner consciousness. She saw Zaleck standing in front of her. Amaris raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you would completely die when I absorbed you," Amaris said, confused. Zaleck looked at her like a fool and spoke, "Soul rings can preserve the demon/angel's consciousness. But they will disappear if the human dies."
Amaris nodded and asked, "So why did you call me here?"
Zaleck didn't talk nonsense and started to speak.
"Currently, you can't kill shit. Why don't you try your soul possession and test your newfound abilities first?" Zaleck suggested. Amaris widened her eyes and thought for a moment.
"How do I enter my soul possession?" Amaris asked.
Zaleck explained how to enter soul possession. "Soul rings have different abilities, but soul possession is the basic skill you humans have. Close your eyes and go deep into your soul."
Amaris did as Zaleck said and entered her soul. She saw her soul; it was vast and white. It was like a massive white sun with a black ring floating around. It was beautiful, a pure obsidian colour. She felt a surge of energy within it, which poured straight into her soul, making her body tremble.
Amaris opened her eyes to the real world and felt the changes in her body. Her skin became pink, and she wore a black silk turtleneck blouse. She looked down and saw she was wearing a tight latex leather skirt and a pair of high heels boots that reached up to her thighs.
An extra eye appeared on her head, making her three eyes now. They were pink and glowing. Amaris hair changed and turned into a long, spiky ponytail with a black ribbon wrapping around the ponytail.
Zaleck laughed at the changes in her attire and said in her mind, "Damn, human. You look good!"
Amaris blushed and covered her face with her palm, her two hands now covered by black leather gloves. Zaleck laughed even more and explained to her.
"Soul possessions change how you look, and your strength increases slightly. You should also feel the mana around you, yeah? Try to perform my skill, Yellow Fog. The skill covers the area in a yellow fog that slowly eats away the person's flesh, though it won't affect you."
Amaris concentrated and saw a yellow fog emerging from her pink skin. She manipulated it, making the fog spread out. Zaleck explained how she controls the fog. "Concentrate on the fog and think of how big the area is. The mana will cover the area. To stop the fog, concentrate on the mana returning to you." Amaris nodded her head and covered a 50-metre area in the fog.
She then cut off the fog, making it return to her. A surge of mana returned to her, and she felt her body become more vital.
"Not bad, human, but what will you call this form?" She asked, her voice full of curiosity.
Amaris put her hand on her chin, and her eyes sparkled.
"Let's call it 'Pink Widow!'"