20.9

The descent into the Depths had been a seamless endeavor for Eve, a fact for which she credited her guild tag. The labyrinthine tunnels she navigated were chiseled from the complex, unyielding rock, their walls marked with a complex web of runes that appeared to solidify and stabilize the surrounding environment. Shrouded in a garment teeming with cryptic runic inscriptions, her guide led the way, deftly utilizing his own rune set to assist in the labyrinth's navigation.

As Eve strode briskly alongside her guide, she clutched her pendant close to her heart with a devious smile. The charm, an intricate miniature model of a cozy hut, perfectly captured the essence of a tranquil dwelling tucked away in the bosom of nature. It was an enduring symbol of her profound connection to the natural world's beauty and serenity. At least, that is what she told the customs inspectors.

Upon her finger rested a splendid ring, its centerpiece a radiant sapphire jewel. The gem’s beguiling blue reflected the spirit of Felix, her cherished fellow companion, forever memorialized in a tiny puppet. This ring acted as a perpetual reminder of the indestructible bond they shared. It was also the Dungeon Core.

Woven into her hair was a slender charm of Kudzu vine, its vibrant blossom emblematic of her profound connection to the ancient art of alchemy. The delicate tendrils of the vine mirrored the labyrinthine complexity of her craft, melding knowledge and nature into an exquisite symphony. Fortunately, the customs inspector hadn’t noticed the vines moving.

Last of her four, safely ensconced within a soft leather pouch, was Nota, Eve's esteemed familiar. The conscious entity resided within the sacred pages of a prized tome and lent unwavering support to Eve's mystical endeavors. The bond shared by Eve and Nota was profound, steeped in deep understanding and cooperation. It had taken several waivers to get her past customs.

These magical items were pivotal in allowing Eve safe passage when following the guide. Their presence was not a manifestation of Eve's intention to subvert the system; they were her treasured companions whose potential penalties for entry she could not afford.

Taxes are worse than murder to enter the Depths. Eve thought in annoyance.

As Eve and her guide journeyed more profoundly into the labyrinth, she couldn't help but rue the astronomical taxes imposed on those seeking to enter the Depths. The staggering expenses had nearly decimated her resources, threatening to revert her progress to square one. She felt fortunate to have brought her companions along without incurring additional costs.

Eventually, they arrived at a square-cut chamber, signaling the end of their journey. Eve thanked the guide, who acknowledged her before melting into the shadows. Left alone, Eve was drawn to a teleportation ritual etched into the stone floor. But before she could commence the ceremony, words began to materialize in her field of vision.

The System recommends a location for User Eve.

Eve's brows furrowed as she absorbed the message. Intrigued, she queried, "Where?"

The Cyber Depth.

A flicker of realization dawned on Eve. She had harbored suspicions that the invasive realities from the Depths bore a significant connection to their proximity to System Wilson. The Depths are filled with truths akin to our own. All interconnected within the vast expanse of the Multiverse, she mused.

Correct.

"Why the Cyber Depth?" Eve probed, seeking further enlightenment.

It is a Hellworld, the most difficult to contain from expanding.

A mischievous grin stole across Eve's face. A Hellworld! Such a challenging environment would offer her an ideal chance to ascend to Tier Seven, significantly enhancing her mystical prowess. But there was a stipulation.

She needed to survive first!

Two books will be offered if you consent.

Bribery was good.

Eve's curiosity was ignited once more. "Which books?" she inquired.

Players Handbook and Cyberpunk. Both 5th editions.

Though the significance of these books eluded Eve, she relied on Nota for guidance. The response from her familiar was effervescently enthusiastic. Acquire both! They possess tremendous value. Nota implored.

Buoyed by Nota's endorsement, Eve assented to the System's proposition. In an instant, the two books materialized before her. Without any hesitation, Nota consumed them, assimilating their knowledge in mere moments.

Good luck.

A dazzling silver light enveloped Eve, and when it dissipated, she found herself standing on a barren dirt plain. As she took in her new surroundings, a peculiar sight to the south caught her eye—a colossal black wall. It felt as though she had been translocated into an immense machine. Her surroundings appeared woven from energy, runes, and data, evoking memories of the virtual reality simulations from her homeworld. However, it was somewhat less advanced and tinged with a whisper of mana.

We aren’t in reality. We are inside a machine. Felix said from the ring on her finger. Eve's eyes widened as she took in the digital landscape before her. "No, not runes, but something similar," she murmured, recognizing the familiar elements of her homeworld's virtual reality.

I don’t think we can leave here. Nota chimed in, looking out at the world through Eve’s eyes.

“There isn’t a prison that can hold us,” Eve said confidently. A howl sounded out from a distance, and she turned from the massive Blackwall to look out into the space.

A new type of flightless bird. Kudzu said. We should prepare a defensive formation. Charging in from a distance were countless strange demonic forms and glittering giants of light.

Eve removed the Kudzu vine charm from her hair and cast it into the soil of the digital landscape. The magic took root, and before her eyes, a massive tree began to grow, surrounded by thick vines. Blooming flowers dotted the vines, releasing pollen into the air.

To her delight, their abilities appeared to work in this strange digital world similar to reality. Drawing upon the power of her ring, Eve pointed it above the towering Kudzu tree, causing a sharp sapphire flash. A shard of Felix materialized above the tree, expanding into a tall sapphire crystal that glinted with inner light. Portals opened around the crystal, and from within them, monsters poured forth.

“Fighting is easier when you have your portable army,” Eve smirked as she summoned her Jian. The whispers of Steel from Emperor Stark’s silver seed told her that the spirit within the blade she wielded was close to evolving.

Eve glanced at her Jian before stroking the blade's flat with two fingers. “Let’s see if we can’t wake this child up.”

With her Jian brandished, Eve could feel the latent spirit of the blade stir. Its aura radiated with an impatient energy akin to a slumbering beast roused by the promise of a hunt.

“Let's give those behind the Blackwall a show,” Eve murmured, her voice resonating with an energy that echoed through the open vastness of the Cyber Depth.

Riding on the winds of Kudzu's pollen-infused aura, she dashed forward, her form blurring into the silver mist. The approaching horde of demonic forms and light-infused titans stopped for a moment, bewildered by the surreal transformation of their enemy. But soon, they resumed their charge, their single-minded desire for conquest unbroken.

Eve could see the differences as she approached now. The titans were a mass of numbers, enormous data fonts given form. “AI, perhaps?” Eve said as she moved closer. If the light-infused humanoid titans were AI, the creatures beneath them were demonic. Her eyes widened as she remembered bits of the programming classes from Earth. “Higher tier programs, daemons, right serve AIs?”

Let us dissect a few to find out. Kudzu said with bloodthirst.

From around Felix's crystal fortress-shard, creatures of various forms and sizes flooded outward to attack. Each one shimmered in the twilight's glow, their sapphire-infused bodies reflecting an ethereal beauty. As if commanded by an unseen force, they threw themselves against the approaching horde, their numbers seemingly endless.

The battlefield transformed into a chaotic dance of light and shadow. Each clash echoed with the raw sounds of the Cyber Depth, the unusual harmony of digital bleeps and bloops blending seamlessly with the earthy growls and roars of the summoned creatures.

As creature killed creature, vines with thorns sharper than a dragon’s tooth carved pathways through the enemy horde.

“Let’s show them our hunger!” Eve’s shout reverberated through the battlefield, inspiring her allies and causing enemies to flinch. No one liked to be eaten.

Amid the fray, Eve was a force of nature. Her Jian, once a simple blade, now danced in her hand with a life of its own, cutting swathes through the enemies. With each stroke, a power surge pulsated through the blade, slowly stirring the dormant spirit.

+250 Experience.

+1000 Experience.

+750 Experience.

+500 Experience.

Eve watched as numbers floated up from the corpses of her slain enemies. Difficulty and experience were intricately linked in this world.

Meanwhile, Nota had been weaving an intricate spell from within her leather pouch. A digital, glyph-infused cyclone was beginning to take shape. I hope this works in this reality. Nota muttered.

As the spell was unleashed, it swept across the battlefield. The glyphs flared with energy, tearing through the fabric of the Cyber Depth, causing rifts in the data that sucked in the light-infused giants, obliterating them from existence.

Massive amounts of experience flowed into each of her allies, although the lion’s share entered Eve. Her familiar’s actions caused a lull in the fighting.

+7,549,760 Experience.

“I don’t think we can repeat that trick,” Eve said, watching the distance. The victory was short-lived. A second wave was fast approaching from the horizon, more fearsome and colossal than the previous one.

Behind wall. Safe. Hut spoke for the first time since arriving.

“I agree. We need an exit strategy.” Eve said, swinging her Jian sharply to the side to flick all the digital blood off.

“Stop sleeping on the job,” Eve declared. The spirit in her Jian finally awakened with a brilliant flare, its energy matching the radiant sapphire of Felix's crystal fortress. Eve’s smirk widened as she squared off against the coming storm of enemies.

She felt her blade call out to her, and reality rippled as she found herself within her mind. A crystalline plane of silver salt surrounded her as a voice echoed in the surrounding wind.

Eve’s eyes narrowed as she listened closely.

"̴̗̓͐E̸̟̒ṉ̵͌͝s̸͙̠͆͂h̴̳͍͋̃ȑ̴̟͔ǒ̷̲u̷͕̼͛̈́d̸̠̓e̷̲̼̎͑d̶̫̫̿ ̶͙̻͐w̷̟̃i̴͓͖͛͝ṯ̸̓̆h̷͚̉i̷̛̦͋n̵̬̒

̶̀͋ͅt̷͇̣͐͝ḧ̴̦̘́ę̶̏ͅ ̴͔̒̓a̶̤̝͝g̶̨̹̍͛e̵̎̂ͅl̸̻̆͒e̶̓̀͜s̸̟͊̚͜s̸͍̥̒ ̵̢̍ș̵̾ỉ̷͕̉l̵͚̿v̴̗̐ẻ̸̦r̵̪͙͑

̸͉̋̆d̵̗͂̾u̶̥͛s̴̟͗͌͜ț̸͍̚ ̷̛͉̭̈́o̵̺̊͛f̸̡̪̿̽ ̸̜̳̈̇t̷̖͋̾ḧ̴͓́è̴̮̌ ̵̘̭̌̇ì̶̘̒ń̷̨͘f̵̫̅̊i̶̼͝ṇ̷̻́̔i̵̯̔ţ̷̜̀ȅ̷̜,̸̟̭̏̀

̴̱͊c̸̟̭͊u̶͋͜t̵̟̲͋ ̷̟̱̾̌t̵̫̅ḧ̸̦̙́é̴͈ ̴̘̌p̶͎̟̆̕a̶͖̒̀ṫ̸̳h̶̢̅ ̶̙̆h̸͉̲͂͝o̶̭̓m̴̡̧̂ē̴̙̱͠ẅ̸̹́̀ā̷͍̗r̴̹̈́d̵͓̂̅!̴̉͠ͅ

̴͖͗D̴̯̙̒i̶̼̊ͅs̶̩͝p̷̡̌͌e̴̬̮̋̓ŕ̸͕s̵̛̺̋e̷͓͌̈́,̴̧̧́

̶̻̆̋H̵̲̞́a̶͙͋k̷̻̀̓u̵̫̇g̸͈̈͛ǐ̸̖̮͋n̷͚͗ ̷͙̝́̓n̷̙͉̎ō̴̰ ̶̯͙̇̕K̷̘͐̈́u̵̧̫̅͝m̴̩͚͑ó̶͍̬!̸̼̓"̵͎̯̀

Eve’s eyes snapped open as her mind flashed through the words. Perhaps they might have been challenging to hear for another, but she was no mortal.

Enshrouded within the ageless silver dust of the infinite, cut the path homeward. Disperse, Hakugin no Kumo! Eve thought as the words shifted into understanding.

She raised her Jian above her head to cut the sky before releasing the weapon. As it hovered in the air, her words echoed in the digital expanse, “Enshrouded within the ageless silver dust of the infinite, cut the path homeward. Disperse, Hakugin no Kumo!” Immediately the Elemental Manifestation began.

Eve watched as her Jian disintegrated into a silver cloud of Witch’s Dust. Her personal Witch’s Dust defenses keened in recognition as if greeting a big brother. In the blink of an eye, the silver cloud had expanded, moving toward the approaching enemies.

Big brother. Angry. Hut said sagely.

“I would be angry too if someone was picking on my little brother or sister in this case?” Eve said, watching as the horde disintegrated, turning into experience.

+7,549,760 Experience. Experience defaulted to Hakugin no Kumo. You gain nothing due to being Lv. 100. Apex Manifestation unlocked.

Eve blinked and said, “Drak. I can’t gain experience; I’m capped. Nota?”

Same. Nota said.

Positive responses from the others meant the problem wasn’t unique to Eve.

As a third horde formed in the distance, Eve’s eyes narrowed. Killing them wasn’t the problem. She didn’t plan to turn into a machine that didn’t receive compensation for her work.

“That’s it. We are bailing. Prepare to breach the Blackwall!” Eve said, turning as her allies attached themselves to her once more. Spatial Steps moved her directly beneath the Titanic Blackwall. As she arrived, Jian reformed from a silver cloud into her right hand. A sheath of ebony wood appeared on her left hip as if it had always been there.

With the Jian Elemental Manifestation now upgraded to Apex, Eve slipped back into her mind at the familiar sensation of her blade requesting to speak. A crystalline plane of silver salt surrounded her once more as a voice echoed in the surrounding wind. The previous words shifted, and Eve realized the new terms contained far more power.

A power that could cut through the Blackwall.

"̸̡̦̤̚͜ͅE̷̙̾̈̇ṃ̷͙̪́ȅ̷̞͉̰͎r̶̪͆͜͝g̷̛͉͇̳͛̊̾͋í̴̙̦̙n̸̨̦̈́͊͒͗͘g̸̳̟̐̔͊ ̸̡͈̘̅͆͝f̴͔͖̗̔r̶̗͠ò̷̱̺̰̲̈m̶͇͎̦̘͊͝ ̷̥̊̆̑̕͝ţ̴̘͚̦̔̂̌ͅḧ̵̨͙̫́͋͠é̵̢̜͇̰͖͝ ̸̮͓̗̔̄̂͒̓ͅb̸̳̝͕͛̀͊̃o̸̱̱̜̍́̋u̶̙̐̚n̷͉̼̫̱͇̅̒͝d̷̤̝̦̭̦͆̾̾͠l̷͕̂̀̂͋̀e̵̲͗̽̾̅s̸̳̗̾̈̃̃ͅs̶̯̝̞̾

̵̻̝̤̈͗͂̀̕ė̶̤̋̆ṁ̷͎̝̲̖̋͒̾̃b̶̡̭̣̺͕͑̄͐̐̓r̷̮̖͓̫̙͂̆́ä̴͓̻̱͖͑̄c̷̯͓͉̽̅̍̈́̄e̸̜̦̝̳͌͜ ̵̡̡̘̮͐͛̊͘o̵̼̓̄̾̈͜f̶̭̼̪̗́̎͘ ̶̰͗e̵̪̰͒̚ṭ̶̳̼͇̝̓́e̴̠̟̔̌̑͘r̸͈̺̍̊̓͒͌n̵̠̞̉̍̓̇a̵̰̋ḷ̸̩͖̏ ̶̥̒͌͑͑̀ȧ̵̖̱͙̦̺̏ŗ̴̝̺̺̆̅g̸̻̽ḙ̷͘n̷͉͙̾t̸̼̜̥̀̏̈́

̶̣̠̜̭͌̄͌͝p̷̲̤͕̉̀̀́å̸͉̺͓̔̆́͠ŗ̶͇̹̦̏̈́͜ṫ̶̞̈́̐̽̊i̴̡̔̅̀͗c̶̨͈̗̀͌͌̈́̂l̸͖͔̔e̵͕͙̻̣̞͊͂s̵̟̎́̒,̶̮̱͌̄̏ ̵̥͙̐ç̵͍̉͊l̶̡̲̩͛̈̚͠e̷͈̜̓͊̆a̸̛̼̜̯̋̂͋͝ͅv̴̖͉̥͍̣͝ĕ̶͎̹ ̶̻̼̤̹̦̅̊͘͠t̵̛̝̾̈́̕h̵̪͍͓̍̔̀e̴͈̻̩̼̊ͅ ̷̢͙̞̥̞̓̀̇r̸̨̡͍͓̜̽̇o̸̮̪͋͂̈́̓͂͜ͅu̷͇͙̭̓̽̀t̴͚̳̑ȩ̵͈̱̗̒̂̋̄̀

̴͕͔͙͓͍̿t̶̢̎ȏ̶͉͈̖̜͔̓͆̿ ̷̺̭̞͂̃͋t̶̤̝͊̃̇͆͜ͅḥ̴͓̬͑ę̵̡̻̗̄̀ͅ ̷͔̩͊h̷̦͚̫̜̎̅̕e̸͍͖̊͑a̸͔̻̟͗ȑ̸̯t̵̲͈̪̎'̶͖͚̺̻͗͂͑̏͝s̵̜̭͒̏͜ ̵̨̟̰̗͓͑̽a̸̞̐̅͊b̵͓̦̘̟̏̿̃ͅò̶͔͍d̷̡̻͎͉̈̅̐e̵̥̜̯̒͝!̶̠̱͛͝ ̵̧̲̖̠͇͋͆͑̏

S̷̼̮͍͍͕͂͝c̶͇͉̘̄̀̑̕͘a̵̲̓̀̋͜͜t̵̜̥̟̟̂̓̀t̵̨̢̻̊̇̒e̸̤̬̟̬͔̐̄̿͊͗r̸̨̯̩̫̞͛̆́͊,̷̰̗̦͔͂ ̷̤̫̋̊͐̎

M̴̪̥̈͒̑͐u̶̲͖͌g̴̭͌̄é̵̛̛̲̭̟̒͠n̷͉͌̋̇̐͆ ̵̘̖͍̙̺͊̓͛̀́n̷̰̪̅o̵͉͉̖̐̎͌ ̸̢̥̻͖͇̈̚G̴͙̘͉̫͛̉̍͆i̴̡̤̩͗̑̓ͅn̸̯̳̩̫̄̒̋'̷̢̙̣̏͋ǘ̶̠̀n̵̩̬̲̘̅̋͠!̵̠͈͇̲͗"̵̩͌̾̔

Eve swiftly went back to reality. Standing before the Blackwall, she said, “I can only imagine the nightmare a normal wielder would go through to understand their weapon. Thankfully I don’t suffer that insanity.”

"Emerging from the boundless embrace of eternal argent particles, cleave the route to the heart's abode! Scatter, Mugen no Gin'un!" Eve said, her words echoing into the air. Instantly her Jian shifted from a sword into a torrential whirlwind of ever-increasing Witch’s Dust.

As the whirlwind grew in size, Eve glanced at the abilities of her Jian. The two new forms were labeled as Elemental Manifestation and Apex Manifestation under the blade’s information. While the Elemental was weaker than the Apex, they both had pros and cons.

For the Elemental Manifestation, the powers were:

Silver Cloud Manifestation: The user gains complete control over the silver particles that comprise their Elemental Manifestation. These particles can be manipulated to form a variety of defensive and offensive constructs, including shields, blades, or even complex structures for strategic purposes.

Path of Homeward Slash: By slashing their Elemental Manifestation blade, the user creates rifts within the fabric of space, generating shimmering portals that allow them to traverse distances instantaneously. These portals can be utilized for swift evasive maneuvers, surprise attacks, or tactical positioning.

Both of those techniques were excellent. Even better, since Jian was performing them, it cost Eve nothing in expenditure. She didn’t waste a lot of mana on the techniques!

For the Apex Manifestation, the powers were everything from the Elemental version, along with the following:

Endless Radiance: The silver particles emitted by the Apex Manifestation create an ethereal glow, illuminating the surroundings. This radiant aura has a soothing effect, dispelling negative influences and boosting the user's allies' morale and energy.

Silver Dust Arsenal: The user can disperse their silver particles into the air, forming a vast cloud of glimmering dust. These particles possess exceptional cutting properties, enabling them to shred through defenses easily. The silver dust can also interfere with the opponent's energy defenses, suppressing their powers and hindering their movements.

Hakugin no Rinne (Samsara of Silver): This ultimate technique, requiring considerable expenditure, allows users to merge their consciousness with the silver particles of their Apex Manifestation. In this state, the user gains heightened perception, enabling them to foresee opponents' movements and respond with unparalleled speed and precision. They can also freely reshape and solidify the silver particles, granting them exceptional versatility in combat.

After examining the two Manifestations, Eve raised her hand in a knife-blade chop before slicing downward. The Blackwall before her was cut like a molten kitchen blade through butter.

Glancing back at the third wave of enemies charging in the distance, Eve leaped through the Blackwall in a single Spatial Step. It was none too soon as behind her. The incredible construct closed almost instantly.

“Let’s not do that again,” Eve said as Jian reformed. She instinctively knew it needed to be sheathed to rest and recover. Sliding the blade into the sheath, she looked at the massive city lights in the distance. “Time to see what all the fuss is about!”

Cheers from her allies resounded as she teleported toward the lights in the distance.