186. The Black Horseman

The term ‘if you gaze into the abyss, then the abyss stares back at you’ carried a tangible weight. It was not just a mere figure of speech, or the uncanniness of gazing into the unknown.

Rather, she felt as though something within stared back. Something familiar that she couldn’t put her finger on. The overwhelming sense of familiarity was shared with the disembodied Nav, who could not describe the sensation it felt within its presence.

The Site Core must have originated from the old world. Nothing could convince her otherwise. But if it was created by the Ateliers, then who had the knowledge of the old world to recreate them?

Frost grasped at straws as she found herself marching along the desolate lands. No matter how far she walked nothing ever seemed to grow closer. She then ran, sprinted, and flung herself forward as fast as she could.

Her movements created the only disturbance in this world as pale sand and silt stirred. A column of particles followed her. Even with her immense AGI the world was far too large.

Was she in a Corrupted Zone? Why did the Site Core have an Origin? Did it mean it was alive?

Her mind was left in a frenzied state. The only thing that kept her calm was the ticking that had driven people mad. But to her, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

We’re still so far away. Are we – We’re not in the Derma layer, right? This whole place is underneath the Site?

“Unknown location. I cannot comprehend a single piece of information. Frost…” Nav suddenly trailed off unexpectedly, causing Frost to arrive at an abrupt stop.

What’s wrong? Can you hear something?

“Nothing. I hear nothing. But it is strange. Aberrations of Elysia. The name suggests they are the abnormalities of Elysia. But would that not be the Corrupted?”

Maybe the world itself? Frost wondered as Nav became increasingly silent.

It was unnatural for Nav to trail off so often. She suspected that it may be receiving some sort of message from the Site Core, or maybe the Archivist was speaking to it. After a brief silence, Nav returned and uttered the following:

“The Archivist is shocked. Zero records. They do not possess a book. Rather, their book is everything and nothing at once.”

Hey. Could it be something related to Amalgamation? Frost wondered, incapable of removing her eyes from the black hole.

“Unknown… Frost. Please keep your guard up. Only the Beholders have had their stats hidden. It is extremely unlikely that you will be able to stand a chance against it if it is on par with a Beholder.”

So why did it call us here then? What the hell does it want? Nav. I’m going to try talking.

“Will it hear you from this far away?”

I’ll yell. Let’s hope it doesn’t spark a reaction. We’re going to get nowhere like this.

Frost resumed her journey. This time, the sands began sifting forwards, like a drain had opened. Sandy currents were weak, and there was an abnormal pattern in the sands that appeared like waves. Almost like gravity waves since they were dealing with a black hole.

She didn’t know what to expect, and before she knew it, her mouth opened wide as she took a deep breath and yelled out at the top of her lungs.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US!?”

There was a sudden metallic thud. A low-pitched rumble accompanied it as the sands began to rise like tiny fountains. Then, suddenly, the black hole blinked. The yellow accretion disk folded into itself as a single line, and before she knew it, the dark pupil stared at her with unrivalled scrutiny.

She felt as though her soul was being scrubbed by an ethereal brush. She could feel each bristle run through her every inch of her skin. Despite the trepidation that urged her to fold and retreat, Frost pushed forward in hopes of understanding this colossal machine.

The ticking grew stronger. The heartbeats resonated within her. And before long, she reached a flat plane where they noticed a peculiar figure waiting for them. It was a black beast restrained by green chains to the ground.

The beast itself appeared like a giant, black worm with several humanoid hands. They were like the legs of a millipede, and they were small, scrawny and dried. It possessed no eyes, and its form was like a black-fiery haze. All consuming, but it looked so malnourished for lack of a better word.

Black Horsemen
Aberrations of Elysia
< Famine >
LEVEL : 60     ORIGIN : ???     HP : 5,900     ATT : 1,000     MAG ATT : 100
ATT DEF : 400     MAG DEF : 0     MP : 100     RESIST : ???     AGI : 20

It was weak. Terribly weak. But to the Site, it was the most dangerous threat they've ever faced. It remained chained in place, but Frost could tell that it was alive, studying her with its invisible gaze.

And then, before they could even react, Nav flashed a prompt before her as one of the colossal chains suddenly snapped.

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< THE THIRD SEAL HAS BEEN BROKEN >

< THE ANGEL HUNGERS >

Frost watched as the chains snapped in total silence for tens of seconds before the sound finally reached them like a crack of thunder. The dust kicked as if a bomb had gone off. Craters formed beneath the snapping chains from the sound alone as she watched mountain-sized chains collapse in slow motion.

A piece of the Site Core’s external shell was shed, and the chains that encased the Black Horseman exploded, releasing shrapnel in all directions. Frost only needed to stand still, for nothing had touched her as she stared down the now animating worm, which was dressed the ruined garbs of a prestigious military uniform, decorated in gold embroideries and black.

It took a swift step forward, as if preparing to attack. This caused Frost to immediately take a defensive pose as she prepared for a fight all the while the colossal chains rained all around them, causing immense tremors and rouge waves of pale sand.

The ticking increased by twofold, and it intensified as if the world was on a timer.

“You are…?” It spoke in a tone torn between surprise and shock.

“You can talk!?” Frost shouted, only further surprising it. “Do you know why I am here!? Can you understand me!?”

When she took one step forward, it took one step back. It instinctively knew what she was capable of, but there was something about her that intrigued it. Frost could tell it was interested in her, likely because she was an Archetype.

“And you can communicate. Impressive. This is new. Very new… And here we believed we’d be reunited with him again.”

Him!? Could it mean me!?

“Frost, the Archivist implores you that you do not kill it!” Nav cut in with urgency, demanding that Frost communicate with words rather than violence. “That thing – She believes she recognizes it. Vaguely, but that creature reminds her of someone in the past!”

A humanoid worm does? Is she sure!?

“Undoubtably. She has gained 2/5 of her books required for an Awakening. They're unarchived, but the memories gained is sufficient enough. She is sure that her memory serves her well. And it seems to know you. The past you, likely.”

Luring me in and mentioning ‘him’ can only mean one thing. Unless they mean Iscario?

“Doubtful. But be careful.”

Frost grated her teeth, but there was an unusual sense of optimism bursting within her.

So far, she didn’t have a reason to attack it, aside from it being the only thing that stopped the Site Core from advancing. But upon hearing Nav’s cry, she lowered her arms and stared at the monstrosity.

She took another deep breath and spoke diplomatically.

“I’m getting that I’m the first person you’ve been able to communicate with?”

Despite showing that she meant no harm, the creature distanced itself with another wriggle. It was wary. Highly wary. She was about to speak, but the Black Horseman beat her to it.

“Your presence is indiscernible. Familiar to the Original. Familiar in stance. And familiar in eyes, but what is that presence you bear?” It spoke cryptically as if to confuse her. “Such an unknown form… But it is proof. Proof that you exist. That you are alive.”

Frost slowly shook her head, her eyes widened and narrowing simultaneously as she desperately approached it, only for it to swiftly back away. Its AGI stat was a lie. Or perhaps it was the distance that she could not properly perceive.

“Exist? Wait – Please, wait a second. Wait! You… Do you know who I am? As the Amalgam? Frost?” She asked, pointing at herself before she summoned a torrent of flames, only to further cause the Black Horseman to distance itself. “I-I’m not here to hurt you! You know something about me, right!?”

“I know no such name. Only that you are alive. Well fed. Nurtured… the Original would cry if they saw you so well. Without the uniform. Without the blood. With kind eyes and sliver of sharpness… ‘Frost’. What a peculiar name. The Amalgam… All are such bizarre terms to us – We who have only just awakened from the Original’s eternal rest.”

“Who’s the Original!? What are you talking about!? Please tell me! I don’t know what you mean!” She was desperate to know, but it seemed as though that the Black Horseman truly did not know much else.

The Site Core itself only stared at Frost, almost longingly.

Then, Nav revealed something.

“That is… a machine itself. A living machine, operating on Nex. It speaks to me in a similar voice. I wonder – Could I have originated from one of those?”

You can control the System though? Do you think so?

“Like you, I have grown curious about these Aberrations. What happens if we get closer? Will I be able to interact with it? It beacons me to go forth. The Archivist also thinks the same thing… Frost. Please, let’s not waste this opportunity to uncover new stones.”