"Alice, how does it feel?" Ern asked.
"Fine, I've never felt better."
"Huh, sure." Dormant Stalker said, "But, you better not abuse it, nothing will happen to me, but your body can't take such a serious load yet."
"Yeah, he's right. Cancel the skill."
"Okay." Alice nodded, and her appearance returned to normal.
"Next time, wear gauntlets, or else if you use that vestment for more than five minutes, the Dormant Stalker's energy will tear you apart."
"That won't be necessary." Dormant Stalker stated.
"What? What are you talking about?
"I can control the amount of energy that goes to Alice, but the gauntlets can be useful in another matter. The runes aren't set yet, right?"
Ern nodded.
"The energy is too intense, and until Alice is strong enough, it needs to be filtered."
"I see, it will be harder than the restraining runes, but I think my acquaintance can do it." Ern hesitated.
"Alice, I want to fight you." Wain said suddenly.
"What? But, why?" Alice was surprised.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Hmm? She doesn't stand a chance against you. What's the point?" Erza resented.
"Ern, I'm sure you have a way to do it. You were able to lower your power to Second Chronicle, it wasn't an illusion or hiding an aura, it was for real, I know that." Wain said seriously.
"You're right, I know some way, but it's pretty hard. Are you sure you want to do it? Maybe there's someone better suited to be a teacher than me?"
Wain wondered. He knew another person who could lower his power on purpose.
"Yes... I have someone in mind."
"Great. Then the fight is put on hold indefinitely, as is our journey to the Forgotten Forest. Alice, you need to get ready to fight Wain, get ready to train hard." Ern stated.
"Yes!"
"You have so many plans, but what am I to do? I'll die of boredom while I wait for you." Erza frowned.
"You can do what you want, but you can stay here and help me with some things if you don't mind. I'm willing to offer you food, alcohol, and money."
Erza remained silent, but she would not leave. Ern's offer was tempting, but she didn't like working or socializing.
"Erza, stay with us!" Alice smiled.
"I'll think about it." Erza muttered and left the kitchen.
"What a complicated character she has, but that's a good thing. Wain, are you leaving us?" Ern asked.
"Yes, I have to learn how to decrease my power. It's quite a useful ability that's not just for showing off in front of others." Wain looked at him intently.
"Huh, I just love looking at the confused faces of pompous assholes."
"Okay, in that case, I gotta go, thanks for the food." Wain said and walked out of Ern's house.
He headed into the garden and a space gap opened up in front of him.
There were four passageways in front of Wain, and he headed for a door covered with massive chains.
'I didn't think I'd ever come back here again.' Wain pulled out a coin. It glowed, and the door opened.
He stepped inside and found himself in what looked like an abandoned prison. Wain headed for the main hall where he had trained last time.
'Hmm? Where's Osvald?" Wain inwardly asked, looking around.
Osvald was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had disappeared, even though this was his space.
'Strange... What is it?' Wain looked at the massive crack in the wall, behind which the starry sky could be seen.
'Osvald has left his Void? But, what was the point of that? Why would he go out into the open space?'
Wain shook his head and headed for the crack. It was the only clue that could help him find Osvald.
Whoooooosh.
Suddenly the stars glowed, and a powerful wind current formed that caught Wain.
"Fuck! What's going on?!"
Wings erupted from Wain's back, and he thrust his sword into the ground to keep his balance. He was having a hard time doing so and gradually got closer to the crack.
'Damn! I definitely shouldn't get in there.'
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmWain's aura intensified, and he activated his second form, the Cursed Swordsman. He swung his sword, and an icy wave blocked the cracks, and the air currents stopped.
"Phew, what the fuck was that?! Isn't that space? Where did the air even come from?!"
Wain stepped away from the crack. He didn't understand why Osvald wasn't here and where the crack came from.
Crack.
Suddenly the layer of ice shattered into small shards, as did part of the wall. Once again, there was a powerful flow of wind, and this time Wain was unable to stay in place and flew out of the Void.
The monstrous pressure of open space came upon him, and his skin began to break down.
'That?!'
Wain stared in horror at the massive jaw of some bug-like insect that appeared in the middle of space, it sucked Wain in like a black hole.
'No, no, no!' Wain activated his a Beyond and attacked, but the gray energy dissolved as if it never existed.
The insect was about to devour him, and Wain had no way to escape. However, when Wain approached the bug, the insect suddenly disappeared, it was like something pulled it out, and Wain flew into a portal, which closed a second later.
"Where am I?" Wain looked up at the clouds slowly floating across the blue sky and the green tree crowns covering the ground.
Wain fell, and his speed increased, he was rapidly approaching the ground like a meteor. Wain opened his wings wide, but this did not help him, as they could not slow him.
However, possible death by falling was not the only problem. A beetle was sitting on the ground that flew up and headed toward Wain, about to devour him.
Wain tried to figure out what to do, he had to get rid of the bug somehow.
'Faster! Use my power! I'll try to help you!" the Black Sun Aristocrat shouted.
Wain nodded, but suddenly a blurry silhouette appeared in front of the beetle. It kicked the beetle with its foot from top to bottom and the monster reached the ground in an instant and was crushed.