I stared intently at the pill in my head, pondering what next to do with it, until a certain response answered for me.
"Hey..." Nameless called.
"What?" I answered.
"Why don't you eat it?" He asked the most obvious question at the moment. The sheer volume of ether compacted into this thing was insane. The red glow from the pill was most likely the energy pulsation.
I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to take in such an enormous amount of energy. However, risks are better examined thoroughly before venturing. 'Look before you leap' or how did they say it? I cast my glance from it and instead focus on finding another thing that would be helpful.
"So you won't take it? You are 21 years old. You've been to the gap between worlds and back, you defeated a colossal earth spirit, how could something that's the size of a medicine pill scare you away?" Nameless asked, obviously taunting me to take it. I wonder what things would look like from his perspective. Lazing about inside another person who does all the physical labor, only required to give in his 'power' during certain circumstances. All because he claims to be a Twilight.
"You know, I bet there are other Twilights. I wonder what you would look like to them right now, lazing around in me all day long, barking out orders to a poor human who got stuck with you. Not very majestic I would say." I sneered finally constructing a good comeback. He went silent for a few seconds. I wondered if he took all that to heart. True enough, he always acted like he didn't care about the predicament, but he may be acting that way because he really has no other choice.
The mood became increasingly awkward. I brushed my hair sideways and just as I did, the red pill flashed in the corner of my eye. I stared at it for a while, pondering on my present options, and before I knew it, I began to stroll towards it. I stretched my hand out and for the first time, I touched it. I reflexively jerked my hand away the first time I touched it due to the intense electric shock I felt,
"Go on, cover your hand with a little ether" Nameless urged finally getting over the silent treatment. I nod and venture again coating my fingertips with ether. The shock was a little lighter and bearable this time, so I pried it out of its placeholder and began a closer examination. Bad, utterly bad. I can't believe I'm about to ingest something that could have caused that wild electric shock earlier.
"Go on. I believe in you" Nameless urged again, this time his words more suspicious than the first. He "believes" in me my ass. There was probably just something intrinsic to this pill that he wanted that bad. It's not like he believes in me, or does he really?
Without wasting more time, I threw the pill straight through my throat and closed my eyes expecting the worst. From the moment it made its way through my mouth, I felt the energy reacting to mine. I felt like I was about to burst open just as it passed through my throat.
"Nameless, do something!" I screamed in desperation. The pain and excitation generated from the reaction were already enough to waste me.
"Begin
Suddenly a new feeling emerged. I felt like I had a tremendous increase in energy. My body felt lighter and my senses sharper, I felt like I could do anything. Although a tad uncomfortable, the sensation only increased and increased.
"You're pretty gullible, aren't you? I can't imagine an idiot risking his life just because he wanted his partner to feel better" Nameless expressed mockingly. I ignored my current bliss and stopped moving for a few seconds. It was all an act.
"You are real scum, you know that right?" I said, feeling the intense embarrassment and fury rising from the depths of my guts.
"So the silent treatment was enough to make you roll over? You must have had no friends growing up kehehehe!" This time his banter was accompanied by a hearty laugh.
"You are an actual pathetic scum, you know that right? I'll never believe another word you say in my life again!" I retorted in a bit of a tantrum. I couldn't believe I got one-upped in the most classical way ever. I felt like an utter idiot.
"Well, whatever. In any case, do you still feel it? That energy you're welling up with?" He quickly changed the topic, moving at his own pace again.
"Tsk. Yeah yeah, I do. What did you call it again?
"That's right. When you cast spells, it involves manifesting a concept into reality by putting some ether into that idea and releasing it right? That is how you have various arts that stem from the concept of elemental variation. For example, The concept of [ice] is to freeze. So all arts or techniques that stem from ice carry that a part of that concept, apply ether and it manifests physically as a freezing spell." he paused for a bit to confirm my attention. I nod my head twice and so he continues.
"That phenomenon is called
I had already forgotten why I was angry at him in the first place. He always had the right information to clear my doubts. Like he was some encyclopedia, I still had a lot of doubts, but he was undeniably the best partner I could ask for.
"So you're saying right now, I didn't get more energy application, I refined my spiritual body? So if they are that refined now, would I be able to use your true frozen arts now?" I asked gleefully, grinning like a child who watched a new toy dangle before his eyes.
"Well in principle, that energy should be enough to allow you to use the true arts now. However, just because the arts are more refined doesn't mean you are invincible. You can still run out of ether if you push it too much. But I will say, you've grown more now, let's keep up the pace." Nameless encouraged with his usual smug attitude.
"Alright, let's keep hunting for more pills. If we become strong enough, we just might beat the king of hell and take his pill too." I rejoiced obliviously. However, at the time, I did not yet understand what it truly meant to hold a title in the abyss. Much less comprehend the existence of the king of hell.
***
In a castle millions of kilometers from where Aries was currently adventuring, the echoes of approaching footsteps resonated through the entire hallway. A female wearing a sleeveless black top with a long sword armed on her waist walked hastily through a long hallway with only one room at the very end of it.
The highest floor of the castle was the office of the lord of the land. She stopped in front of the door and tapped on the handle twice, the door slowly pushed open, her indication to enter.
"Greetings my lord. I have returned with the report for the completed task you asked of me." She informed bending a knee to the ground and bowing her head to show submission to this figure.
A being suited up in the shining black armor of a knight. The knight was in the middle of writing on his desk when she entered his solace, and as such did not divert his attention from his current task.
"Well done Liha. So? Is it true that there is another human here?" He asked while writing, not even sparing her a glance.
"Yes sir. Although my dark senses aren't picking up much of his humanity, so he is most likely being eroded by the demonic ether in the abyss. It shouldn't be long before he dies." She answered humbly in her position.
The hierarchy amongst demons was absolute, a higher-ranked demon would be incomparable to one of a lower rank in terms of power. Even though Liha was one demoness who by far exceeded the likes of even high-ranking demons in intellect, the best she could become was an advisor.
In the face of power, she is still left utterly helpless. She was currently bending a knee to another person.
"This wouldn't have happened if your handpicked group had just wiped out the entire squad who ventured in that day. You let some of those filth escape and now one has probably returned to avenge his comrades" He stopped his fingers for a moment while he spoke before he continued writing again.
"I apologize for my incompetence, my lord. However, it is impossible for the humans to be able to locate the same environment in the abyss successively as it can only drop them in one of an infinite amount of areas in hell so--" Her plea was suddenly cut off, and so was her right arm. As the detached arm rolled away, blood spewed haphazardly around the room.
"Arghhhhhhh" She screamed in pain. Holding the remaining upper arm with her left hand, buckets of sweat rolled down her face in anguish and fear.
"Silence! The next time you talk back to me would be your head. Now send out a few scouts to monitor its behavior and kill if necessary. Do I make myself clear?" The knight asked still writing.
She had not even seen him move to dissect her arm, that was just how vast the difference was. It made her seethe, it made her rage, the other demons would follow blindly at the ways of the higher ranked but she couldn't bear it. However,
"As you wish, General Sultan." She walked over to the corner of the room where her arm had rolled, picked up the arm, and exited the room. She vowed vengeance on the human who caused this and General Sultan who was the root problem.
Of course, Aries had no way of knowing all of this.