Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 251: Kalina’s Weeping

sorry for the late but this chapter needed some changes and it took me quite some time.

At the heavily guarded interior of the dungeon, simultaneously, a vivid red fireball continued to burn fiercely. Despite the relentless efforts of the Imperial scientists, led by Garfield, to understand the nature of Inferno and find a way to kill the terrifying Abyssal Demon King, they had made little progress until now.

The only gains they obtained were deliberate deceptions by Inferno, in the form of misleading "clues." While Garfield and his team exhausted themselves studying the specific steps for their next experiment, a certain young lady inside the fireball seemed unusually content.

Inside the massive fireball, within a house constructed of flames, our beautiful and well-behaved Miss Kalina sat gracefully on a bed molded from fire, wearing a robe. She leisurely read a book she had acquired from somewhere, showing no concern for her captive status. Her relaxed demeanor was far from what one would expect from a prisoner under surveillance; one could even say she was on vacation.

Although the furniture near Kalina was shaped by flames, her clothes and books were enveloped by her crimson silhouette, a power known as the Scarlet Shadow, preventing them from being consumed by the fire.

"Hmm, this chapter is quite good. When I get out of here, I should reward the author,"

Kalina thought as she read an interesting book.

Just as Kalina immersed herself in the world of the book, a communication magic stone by her side emitted a faint blue light. Soon after, a familiar voice resounded in Kalina’s ear:

"Lady Kalina, it’s time to prepare. Lady Yumo will arrive soon..."

’?!!’

’Huh?!’

’M-Mommy... will come?!’

At that moment, Kalina abruptly closed the book and looked at the communication magic stone beside her, bewildered. While Kalina knew that her mother would visit her tonight, she was still somewhat taken aback. After all, wasn’t she supposed to meet that wretched Xue Tianao first?

"Why so early?"

Kalina wondered, slightly puzzled. However, she also understood that now was not the time to dwell on such questions.

The next moment, a flash of red light flickered in Kalina’s orange-red eyes. Everything in her hands—the book, the nearby furniture, the food, and anything that could reveal her true prison life—was instantaneously engulfed by the crimson sea of fire, vanishing without a trace, leaving no evidence behind.

Subsequently,

Kalina raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Several thick and rusty chains, along with a set of prison clothes of unknown origin, were suddenly dragged by the power of the Shadow and appeared before her. Of course, there was also a longsword emitting a dense, bloody aura and a faint golden glow. It was the same sword that Xue Tianao had once used but was now discarded.

"Ahhh..."

Taking a deep breath, Kalina’s eyes revealed a resolute gaze. She directly controlled the longsword, completely removing her own defenses. With determination, she ruthlessly pierced the sword into her own chest...

At the same time, the terrifying fireball enveloping Kalina disintegrated in an instant, turning into countless crimson specks of light that dissipated within the dungeon. The flame barrier that had troubled Garfield and the researchers finally dissipated in that moment. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the chance to witness this scene or see the true form of Inferno.

At this moment, in the research laboratory, several women dressed in black and wearing masks had appeared. The researchers, including Garfield, fell to the ground, foaming, after a flurry of sword strikes. Clearly, their minds wouldn’t recover for a while...

--

When everything was ready, Sebastian led Yumo through the barrier set up by Xue Tianao outside the prison and arrived in this oppressive dungeon. Sebastian kicked away the two guards taken care of by the "Nightingale" organization and respectfully spoke,

"Lady Yumo, please come this way."

"Hmm..."

Yumo responded softly and followed Sebastian’s footsteps, walking through this enormous dungeon that felt like a maze. Sensing the damp, eerie, and oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon, Yumo furrowed her brow.

’Kalina... Is she locked up in a place like this?’

The thought of her daughter being in such a terrible environment caused Yumo’s heart to ache.

And at that moment, as the two passed through the next barrier, Yumo suddenly detected a faint scent of blood in the air. Although it was subtle, Yumo captured it with precision. Instantly, the crimson eyes of the young girl contracted, and the blood-colored butterflies floating around her began to stir.

Sebastian, who noticed the change in the atmosphere around Yumo, feigned confusion and looked at the black-haired girl behind him.

"Lady Yumo? What’s the matter?"

"...,"

Yumo didn’t reply. Instead, she stared intently at the dark and profound passage ahead.

’This smell of blood... Is it... from my child?’

In that moment

Under Sebastian’s astonished gaze, Yumo, surrounded by the bloody butterflies, transformed into a red light and rushed toward the deep passage ahead. Seeing this, including the Black Rose Knights, Sebastian hurriedly followed.

"Lady Yumo, Please wait for us!"

...

Even though she concealed her strength and suppressed her aura with the "Veil of Deception," Yumo was still able to track the scent of blood with her keen senses, leading her toward its source.

"It’s here..."

In the next moment, when she reached a colossal iron gate, twenty meters high and twenty meters wide, Yumo suddenly threw a punch.

"Boom!"

With a deafening sound, Xue Tianao’s intentionally indestructible iron gate, used to confine Inferno, was shattered by Yumo’s punch. The scene behind the gate instantly unfolded before her.

And as she beheld this sight, Yumo trembled all over, her delicate lips even bitten until they bled.

"Little...Na..."

At that moment, in the center of the vast dungeon, a red-haired woman wearing tattered and thin prison clothes knelt weakly on the ground. Her body was covered in numerous wounds, exuding a desolate beauty. Chains, sturdy and rusted, adorned with various magical runes, securely bound her limbs, waist, and neck. The other end of the chains was connected to the surrounding walls.

Judging by the type of magical runes, it seemed that any resistance from the imprisoned woman would result in electric torture...

But what enraged Lady Yumo the most was the golden longsword above the red-haired woman’s chest. The residual divine power on the sword relentlessly corroded the woman’s delicate body, preventing her wounds from healing and continuously spilling fresh blood. The blood stained the originally white prison clothes crimson, and the accumulated blood on the ground was horrifyingly abundant.

Upon hearing Yumo’s cry, the red-haired woman, barely clinging to life—Kalina—slowly raised her head, astounded, as she looked ahead. When her crimson eyes fell upon Yumo’s figure, the "despair" and "pain" within her dissipated instantly, replaced by profound joy and hope.

"Mother... Mother, have you finally come to save me?"

Her voice was filled with the ecstasy of being saved from the brink of despair.

The pleading gaze of her daughter and her feeble voice further stirred Yumo’s heart.

’Kalina’s condition...’

’Compared to Sebastian’s previous description, the difference was far too great...’

In a heartfelt moment, the anguished girl instantly appeared before Kalina and hugged her tightly, ignoring the blood stains on her body. As she gently touched Kalina’s pale and weak face, Yumo hurriedly took out a vial of Nature’s Tear from her pocket and gave it to Kalina.

"Quick, little Na, don’t talk, drink this first..."

As the healing power of Nature’s Tear took effect, Kalina’s pale complexion slightly improved, but soon weakened again because of the golden light on the sword. The intense pain tormented Kalina’s mind, causing her to let out a faint moan.

Each moan pierced Yumo’s heart, leaving her with an agonizing feeling. Without thinking, she instinctively raised her hand, wanting to remove the blade from her daughter’s chest. However, Sebastian, who had finally arrived, quickly intervened:

"Lady Yumo, you can’t pull out that sword! It holds a powerful divine energy. If anyone other than Xue Tianao removes it, the power inside will be unleashed, putting Lady Kalina in danger!"

Yumo hesitated upon hearing Sebastian’s words. She suddenly remembered Xiao’s warning.

With mixed emotions, Yumo looked at the golden sword that pierced Kalina’s chest. She could sense the strong presence of Xue Tianao and the terrifying divine power it contained. Yumo clenched her fists tightly.

"Xue Tianao... that jerk..."

’The one who harmed My daughter...’

’But at the same time, he Is was the chosen one, the Protagonist she had been waiting for many years, the one she needed to protect during the early trials...’

At that moment, Yumo’s heart was torn between conflicting emotions.

And just then, Kalina noticed the turmoil on Yumo’s face. Her eyes subtly changed, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Under Yumo’s sorrowful gaze, tears flowed from Kalina’s eyes like pearls on a string.

Held in Yumo’s embrace, Kalina began to sob, expressing her grievances to her mother.

" (???)... Mommy... it hurts so much... (???)... That... that Man, bullied me... (???)..."

"Little Na..."

Among her many children, Kalina was the one who rarely shed tears. In Yumo’s memory, this child was always composed, courageous, and resilient. And now, seeing this typically strong child sobbing in her embrace, the sense of injustice in her cries sparked an intense fire of anger within Yumo, spreading through the girl’s heart like a raging wildfire.

Kalina seldom cried, reserving her tears for moments that truly mattered. And it turned out that Kalina’s judgment was right on the mark. After taking a deep breath, Yumo cast a sidelong glance at Sebastian standing behind her and spoke softly,

"Little Sai."

"Yes, Lady Yumo."

"I made up my mind. Inform Xiao that I agree to his plan."

"Hmm? Lady Yumo, are you Sure about this? But if you go through with it..."

"Proceed as planned."

Upon hearing the unwavering determination in the black-haired girl’s voice, Sebastian ceased his attempts to dissuade her. Instead, he wore a somewhat "regretful" expression and respectfully nodded in acknowledgment.

"As you Wish, My lady."