Later, when Iris, Olivia, Liebe, and everyone met in front of the Admiral's dorms, Liebe said, "You guys ready?"
Lilith said, "Hell yeah! We may only have five hours, but we'll train our hearts out in the Abyssal Zone."
Liebe said, "Let's do it. Gelda, now, if you don't mind."
Gelda said, "I suppose 5 km should be fine. Now—Spatial Magic: Astral Gate."
As they entered, the mana in the Abyssal Zone was brutal. Hedin, Lumos, Iris, and Olivia could instantly feel the difference as they were in pain.
Liebe said, "Since it's your first time here in such a mana-dense region, your bodies are resisting it."
Hedin said, "Why the hell does it hurt so much?"
Lumos said, "I can't use my magic."
Liebe said, "The more you resist or attempt to use magic, the longer it will take."
Olivia said, "What the hell is this? I feel like my organs are going to burst."
Liebe said, "This is your baptism. When it's over, you will already be much stronger than before. Accept the natural mana around you—let it flow like your blood."
Iris said, "We'll be dead before that."
Liebe said, "This deep, any human who is above 15 or can control their mana should be able to survive. And you are knights. If you die, then you actually wouldn't have made it very far, now would you? So it is best for everyone if whatever happens, happens now."
As Hedin stood up, he said, "Yeah, yeah. It felt like hell, alright, but I think I got the hang of it."
Liebe said, "Feel any different?"
Hedin said, "Actually, I do. I can feel my mana capacity increasing."
Licht said, "Good to see you didn't croak to death, based on how much you whine."
Lumos stood up and said, "Yeah, he does. And now I feel better. I feel it—the change in my body."
Liebe said, "Well, Iris, Olivia—only you two are left."
Olivia said, "Like hell we will."
Liebe said, "If you think this is enough to kill you, I'm sorry to say neither of you had the potential to become a knight, much less survive. Of course, Hedin and Lumos completed it, but they took far longer than any average warrior. And you are resisting it too much. Stop trying to create a barrier around you. The more you do, the more it will hurt. Just let go."
As Iris stood up, she said, "I did it. I don't know how, but I did it."
As Olivia also stood up, she said, "What the hell was that?"
Licht said, "You two were the ones who didn't believe it when I said how harsh it was and wanted to see our training. So what were you expecting?"
Liebe said, "For the time being, Iris, Hedin, and Olivia—you three try to use your Masks of Ifrit, demonic models. The Mask of Ifrit may be a cheap trick to gain a second attribute temporarily, but bear in mind it makes your mana consumption four times as usual. Try using it in short bursts. With the mana capacity you had, you wouldn't have been much useful in the World Championships. Now that you are baptized, this will help you use those masks. But from my estimate, I doubt you can use it for more than 1,500 seconds at most. So train here. And for the four of you, here is the plan: your job—get one drop of blood from Licht by the end of the day."
Gelda coughed.
Liebe said, "Sorry, I mean… wake up Licht from his nap. Also, if he gets too cranky after waking up, just get him a teddy bear and let him go back to sleep. Now, Gelda, if you wouldn't mind."
Gelda said, "Of course, Lord."
As she made a portal, Licht's bed came in.
Liebe said, "Now, Licht, good luck. Enjoy your nap."
Licht said, "Don't mind if I do."
Liebe said, "Good luck, everyone. And feel free to use your masks."
Iris said, "And where are you going?"
Liebe said, "Gelda, the Captain, and I are not exactly fans of being limited—specially financially and in terms of strength. Since Gelda's limit is 1,500 km, mine is 1,300 km, and the Captain has crossed more than 1,700 km…"
Lilith said, "Nah, in the past two years it has become 1,800."
Liebe said, "Basically, we are attempting to see if the three of us form a party, we can cross 2,000 km or not—which is the upper limit of the Knight of One, Mr. Geno himself. But even with all 12 of them together, they never crossed more than 2,250 km."
Iris said, "Okay, then. Good luck."
Liebe said, "Same to you. And Licht, after this, want to join the party tomorrow and see how far we can go? We still haven't seen the upper limit of your so-called Baldrs Reiðarsverð. Without the exact properties, it's quite annoying to propose a strategy."
Licht didn't respond, as he was just snoring.
Liebe said, "I see. I'll leave it to you, then."
As Liebe, Lilith, and Gelda went away through Gelda's portal, Liebe said, "Crossing 1,500 km at once is quite convenient."
Gelda said, "Of course, Lord."
Liebe said, "So, it's this deep, huh? It's like we are in a cave—I can't even see the sun."
Gelda said, "Well, Lord, that's because we are. This is the 100 km long underground cave known as Coronosa. Above us, on normal grounds, is 100 km here."
Lilith said, "It's a monster freakshow, alright. Here, monsters respawn instantly. Kill one, and 100 more take its place. It's like the miniature version of the Abyssal Zone itself, and it's known as Purgatory Palace. Even members of the 25 Princes of Hell hesitate before going up there. That 100 km may be plain, but in minutes, if you are strong enough, you'll see mountains of monster corpses form before you know it. That is, assuming you survive long enough. I myself only managed to cross 25 km, and the only time I crossed it was when Father was still the Captain."
Liebe said, "I see."
Gelda said, "This cave doesn't have a map, and it's pointless—it's constantly changing, and there are no patterns to follow."
Lilith said, "And that's why let's smash through it."
In the next 10 minutes, they traversed the cave.
Lilith said, "Now the challenge begins."
As Gelda left the cave, Gelda was like, "This magic power is sickening, alright."
Liebe said, "600 km." As he exited the cave in a second, he coughed up blood.
Gelda said, "Lord."
Liebe said, "Guess the cave sheltered me from the dense mana." As he coughed a bit more blood.
Gelda said, "Lord, if it's too much, please let us turn back."
Liebe said, "No." As he stopped coughing up blood, seeing this, he couldn't help but think, What the hell is wrong with me? Vanadis Eilífa Áin should have made sure I was adjusted to the natural mana the moment I exited the cave. And on top of that, I even coughed blood twice. What the hell is wrong with me? I thought I mastered it in the last two years, but why the hell has my regeneration slowed down?
Lilith said, "Let's wait a minute. It's best not to rush in so deep."
Liebe said, "There is no point. The boss monster of this 100 km should be just ahead—the nest where a snake-like monster exists. It's 5 m long and about 2 m tall. If not handled carefully, it can solo even a level 8 with ease. Right now, I'm about 14, Gelda is 17, and Mother should be in the ends of 25—that's even above the leader of the God Hǫfuðbjǫrn Magn. And Mr. Álfrinn is about 18. I need to work harder—a lot harder. Mother, if it's okay with you, I want to battle the Quetzalcoatl Beast myself."
Lilith said, "No. I'm done letting you battle in the frontlines alone. I can't agree to it."
Liebe said, "Please."
Lilith said, "Okay, but if I sense you are in any form of danger, I will intervene. And remember—its nest is ugly, the smell is hideous, and it's fast. Even one strike is enough to kill someone."
Liebe said, "Sure."
As they reached the nest in 3 km, Lilith said, "See what it can do. And let's see what is your limit."
As Liebe stepped forward, Liebe thought, Something is wrong. I can still feel something inside me isn't working.
As Liebe screamed, "Hey, ugly—come at me!"
As the 5 m long snake saw Liebe, it charged toward him.
Lilith said, "Bad move. That ugly is now using its strong move—Sacrificial Charge."
As it hit Liebe, Liebe felt it—the pain of every bone in his body shattering at once. As Liebe crashed into a boulder, the impact was hard enough to smash the boulder into pieces.
Lilith said, "Using Afterglow to transfer the damage of the impact into the boulder? Not a bad move."
In a second, Liebe regenerated.
Liebe said, "Ugly, I'm coming for you."
As Liebe charged toward it, Lilith said, "The question is—will he really survive?"
Gelda said, "Of course he will. He is one with his true feelings right now. I doubt it can struggle."
Even when Liebe was slashed across his chest, even his wounds were inflicted that would kill someone, when he was at the ends, he lived. Vanadis Eilífa Áin kept him breathing, healing every injury in seconds.
After five hours of struggling, Liebe emerged victorious. Liebe screamed, "Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" as his body healed in an instant.
Lilith said, "Let's head back. It's time for lunch."
As they teleported back, they saw Iris, Olivia, Hedin, and Lumos were on the ground, knocked out cold, while Licht was sleeping as if nothing happened, without a care in the world.
Liebe said, "Well, this is disappointing. Now, then, Gelda, if you would, please."
Gelda said, "Of course."
As Gelda made a portal, water emerged and soaked all five of them awake.
Liebe said, "Wakey, wakey."
Vanadis Eilífa Áin activates based on Liebe's will—his will to grow stronger and his will to live on. Yet now that Lilith has returned, as a child, he has no reason to grow stronger. The reason he survived today's ordeal is because of the fact his will to live is stronger than ever. And the Irene herself wanted to witness Liebe's victory on this day—and the hero—with her own eyes: the one who will relieve her of all her sins, the one who she has been waiting for… the one who she needs: the incarnation of Faust, the one who inherited Faust's dream… the only one whose heart belongs to Freyja.