Chapter 1113: Tracking Down Feris 6

With Allura putting a hold on Alice’s strange experience with Oblivion, excavating the statue wasn’t an issue. Especially with Alice’s help. They carefully avoided damaging any of the traces that remain while cutting off the corruption.

Not that there was a lot left with Alice ’devouring’ most of the energy in this place.

Entering this place was hard but leaving was relatively easy.

As they approached the Root Gate back to the World Tree, Alice couldn’t help but glance back once more.

Towards the giant cavity left behind by Feris.

The dead zone was now gone. But that didn’t change the fact that the land had been forever altered by Feris’s rampage.

[Even with the main issue gone, the landscape won’t recover easily.] Cayla understood Alice’s current feelings.

As someone who shared the same vision as Alice...

Even with the black hole gone, there was still a large cavity in the energy surrounding the location.

It’s as though a giant hole had just been opened in the ocean and the surroundings were rushing to fill in the gap only to struggle. The closer they got to the centre, the harder it was for the energy to circulate.

Based on the current rate, it’ll take years before nature could equalize and repair itself.

And even then, there’s no telling if Oblivion would get in the way. Alice may have Devoured the main issue but that didn’t change the past. This area was still ’erased’.

’Don’t think too much on it. It’s not your responsibility. Just focus on Feris for now. We can ask her a bunch of questions later when she’s safe.’ Alyss reminded.

Nodding her head reluctantly, Alice made her way back with the others.

With the statue now under their care, all that was left was stabilizing the link they’ll establish towards Feris.

A tunnel that’ll allow several of them to walk through at once without risk of closure.

However...

"We did it."

Alice blinked her eyes.

The old lady had one of the staff bring up a projection next to her.

It was a metal archway attached to the World Tree. Several cables had been attached to it while the statue was nearby, acting as a catalyst.

"Can you repeat that? I don’t think I heard it correctly." Alice asked for them to clarify.

"So... based on what we found after you lot left to get the statue, there doesn’t seem to be as much resistance as originally expected. Stabilizing the tunnel shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. In fact, I would even go as far as to say it’ll be easier than anything else we’ve had to do."

Suspicious.

That was all Alice could think about.

With the way the Nightmare was fusing with the Void, trying to stabilize a tunnel that reaches that far was near impossible.

She had expected an insane amount of work to be done after she links the statue back to Feris.

But for them to confirm that stabilization was easy?

Alice needed to see for herself.

Naturally, the staff didn’t take offence to her caution as they too couldn’t quite believe it.

Had they not run the numbers over and over, they would’ve simply believed it to be a fault in their estimation. Yet the results proved otherwise.

". . ." Alice exhaled softly.

By using the gateway as a middle point, she activated her Sigils and attempted to create several openings through the Void.

And to her surprise... It was indeed as the staff had said.

Easy.

Too easy.

Like navigating through water with her hand. Where she wanted to go, the Void would accommodate while the Nightmare would evade her route. It’s as though the entire realm was allowing her to do whatever she wanted.

Why?

If Nyer needed Feris, surely he would keep her safe and away-

"!!!"

[He must’ve got what he wanted.] Cayla creased her brows.

That was also the conclusion that Alice had arrived at.

If Nyer was giving up the secrecy of Feris’s location, he must be satisfied with what he got from her.

In which case...

What did he want from her? What kind of information did he desire?

’Let’s not wait around to find out. Ideally we get Feris as soon as possible and figure exactly what has happened to her.’ Alyss suggested.

There was one thing that still bothered them though.

Even with the thought that Nyer got what he wanted from Feris, they didn’t ’feel’ danger.

It was a strange thought to verbalise but most of the time, there would be an instinctive sense of urgency.

But regarding Feris and the Nightmare, it’s as though Nyer simply wanted to put his theory to the test. That even if foiled, he lost nothing.

’No... that’s not quite right either. Nyer doesn’t simply just give up things because he has no use for them anymore. He’ll extract as much as he can, even if his original goal is fulfilled. So there must be another reason for him to give up Feris...’ Alice shook her head.

Regardless of the answer, she must make her move.

"How fast do you think we can get things sorted out in the main room? Since the gateways are stable, I can make a portal as soon as everything is ready." Alice asked as the staff blinked his eyes.

He hadn’t expected Alice to be so enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Surely this was a moment for caution right? Though considering the danger the Nightmare poses, dealing with Feris might be worth the risk if they can put an end to the situation.

"One hour. We should be able to get everything ready in the main hall in around an hour."

Nodding her head, Alice watched as he quickly rushed away to have everything organised.

Allura was probably looking for Nalem to get his input on what had happened. Though it could also just be someone else. Naturally Karya followed as she was the personal doctor.

Solana was... fishing while Yuna kept her occupied.

As for Alice, she simply spent this time trying to come up with new ways of manifesting herself while Alyss took main control in terms of physical fighting.

With her mind being occupied, the hour quickly passed before Alice knew it and the gateway had been set up.

The concept was a simple one.

In essence, it took advantage of the properties of the World Tree. Using the ambient energy, it would project the Roots, thus creating fake passages as though the Root had formed naturally.

It was a similar technique to the ones they used when choosing where to create Gateways. The only difference being that this was something they could actively control and manipulate the ’tunnel shape’ of.

The only draw back is that unlike actual Root Gates, this wasn’t permanent. Meaning someone had to maintain it. Or rather, someone had to activate act as the anchor so that the people who stepped through had a way back.

In this case, Yuna volunteered herself as it’s not like she could spent long periods of time outside of this realm in the first place.

"Anchor set. Passage stable. We are ready to go whenever you are ready." One of the operators notified Alice as she nodded her head.

The group remained the same. Allura had come back, seemingly passing on her question and was now simply waiting for a response. Karya seemed annoyed at Allura, possibly due to the fact that she almost tapped and harmonised with Oblivion while making a checkup on Alice’s body.

If she had actually tapped into the power however...

One mustn’t go against the Doctor’s orders. Especially not when she’s right there.

Solana was also here for the ride. Though Alice assumed she was more so here as a point of contact and to also keep an eye on her.

Even if the girl was willing to help due to Alice’s promise of helping out her sister.

No briefing was needed. No more discussions. Now was a time for action and their goal was simple.

Locate Feris, track down both her physical body and spiritual body.

Taking a deep breath, Alice exhaled softly.

She summoned Leon to her side and patted his chassis.

"Counting on you." She mumbled with a soft smile.

Hovering horizontally, energy converged around Leon as a beam was fired towards the gate.

Synchronising herself with the weapon, Alice’s gaze shifted as she targeted the link between Feris and the statue.

A thin thread that threatened to break at a moment’s notice. Thin but still there.

Her focus sharpened. The world around her shifted as her mind focused on crossing the endless expanse of the Void. To follow this tether no matter how far she must travel.

A strand of light that stretched through an immeasurable distance, disappearing into the depths of the Void.

Now that she was latched onto the thread, even if it breaks, she’ll refuse to lose her guiding light! Even if she had to scour through the countless strands of energy present in the Void, she’ll find the core no matter what!

She’ll find the shining thread that was Feris!

As she pierced through the Void, Alice soon came into contact with a familiar yet unfamiliar presence.

Cold, distant, lonely. A figure buried in sorrow and longing. One who’s presence was ever so thin, teetering on the verge of extinguishing.

It lacked the vitality that Alice was familiar with.

Feris!

Snapping her eyes open, Alice flicked her finger.

*BANG!!!

A piercing light erupted from the weapon, punching a hole through the gateway as a portal was established.

"Link confirmed! Portal exit located. Path stabilised and anchored. You are ready to move."

Nodding towards Allura, Alice took the first step while her three weapons hovered near her.

She wasn’t sure if Nyer left any guards in place to defend Feris so it’s best to be prepared for a fight.

But what awaited at the other side of the portal wasn’t what Alice had expected...