< ACT 4 >

< Face the self who stands at the pinnacle. They shall see what they can be in spite of what they are. Weave dependence into the strings. Let them wear a determined potential in all its glory >

Glimmers were the closest beings to the Stars. They possessed immense power and originated from the same place where the Stars hailed from; Beyond the Veil, where nothing but unconsciousness in its primordial form resided.

One could even go as far as to call them infant Stars, though it was not known how a Glimmer became a Star. In the Old World Glimmers possessed Gifts of their own, albeit they were significantly less powerful than ones harvested from the corpses of Stars.

When one thought of a Star, they would think of an abstract being, such as Mort Toll. In that same vein, it was expected that a Glimmer would manifest as an incomprehensible being.

That was why Frost did not declare Cer as a Glimmer. She instead insisted that Cer was an Awakened before she was a Glimmer. However, there was contention to the claims of Cer being a Glimmer, which hung on the fact that she barely qualified according to the Arbiter. Ironically, it was also Michaela who called Cer a Glimmer.

Frost's mental depiction of a Glimmer was shattered by the being standing in front of her.

White Glimmer Jury. The namesake followed a Star's, such as the Pale Star Arbiter, and others Frost was aware of from Michaela's memories like the Blue Star Katrina.

The ticking in Jury's heart was methodical, and she could just notice a faint blue glow radiating from her chest.

They were separated by exactly ten meters of empty space, yet Frost knew that distance meant nothing due to Jury's speed.

She did not know how she could win against a buffed Jury in a nerfed body. With no Offensive Skills to her name, she could only rely on Absolution-empowered attacks.

Indeed. The reason why Frost was able to repel Jury with her swipe was thanks to Absolution. A small piece of a golden halo floated above her head, contrasting with the white completed halo atop Jury's.

"Frost, Frost, Frost~ With all these strings, you'd think a fly wandered straight into a spider's web. I'll take very good care of you. My strings will wrap you up nicely. You like that, don't you~?"

"Depends on whether my wife will bite my head off or not." Frost assumed a fighting stance in response.

"Did you take my strings metaphor too literally? I'm not trying to sound like a spider~ I can't produce thread like you or the voyeur above."

She giggled into a hand that was gracefully brought to cover her mouth. Then, the world went silent as Jury disappeared. Frost barely had enough time to react before Jury's voice spoke again from everywhere at once.

"I am an Angel. And an Angel–"

To my left!

Frost's instincts had not left her. However, instincts could only take one so far. Her body could not keep up, and by the time she raised her arms to block an incoming attack, Jury had already repositioned.

"–Is always right!"

A dull pain struck Frost from her right. Jury's tail sent her flying across the Floor of Judgement. Her body was nearly parallel with the ground for several seconds before she rolled along the reflective marble.

She struggled to prevent herself from skidding any further. Rubber screeched as she planted herself firmly. A faint plink of liquid came from beneath her.

"… I can't heal myself. I'm still using MP as HP in here. So are you."

She released a pained gasp and cradled her torso, precisely where Jury had struck her.

Blood dripped from the corner of her lips as she glared at Jury, unable to confide in defeat despite the staggering disadvantage she had.

The damage she had taken was substantial.

HP/MP: 270,000

Her base HP here was still 275,000. Thankfully, becoming a human did not change this.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

White Dove Frost

< Greater Healer >

LEVEL : Nil

ORIGIN : Human

HP/MP : 275,000 ATT : 1 MAG ATT : 1 ATT DEF : 8,750

MAG DEF : 8,750

RESIST : 330 AGI : 12

But being a human came with its weaknesses.

"I must have broken a rib. Does it hurt? Oh~ The way the you run up to me is so cute!"

Frost did not let this stop her. She threw herself forward and sprinted towards Jury, plucking light from her halo and encasing her fist in a golden aura.

Nav… What can I use? Is it just Absolution and Abilities!?

"Exploration Professions have returned. I believe your emotional state is tied to unlocking your remaining potential. All Exploration Skills are available!"

< EXPLORATION Professions and their Skills have been restored >

< ACTIVE >

< Appraise Object IV [8/10] >

< Home Cook IV [7/10] >

< Non-Euclidian Interpretation I [7/10] >

< Analyze Target I [0/10] >

< PASSIVE >

< Dimensional Storage IV (60kg/80kg) >

< Comprehension I >

< Observation II >

They provided little offensive power. Nothing listed could maximize her strength. But Frost did not need power right now. She required survivability and information, because she knew that Jury, despite her overwhelming strength would not kill her outright.

Jury teleported as Frost thrust her fist, intending to strike her chest. She appeared by her side and seized her wrist.

"I could just snap this right off. But then you'd scream~"

"You already broke a rib. What's stopping you from breaking me?"

A flash of light repelled Jury by a mere meter. Frost followed it with another strike, only for Jury to disappear and emerge behind her.

"… Tch."

"If I wanted you to scream, then I'd do it in a way where you'd just scream out my name~"

A hand pressed against her back and shoved her forward just enough to force Frost into a stumble. Then, as she tripped and tried to catch herself, Jury's tail undercut her from her blind spot.

"Gugh…!?"

A deafening crack came from her chest as she was thrown into the air. An arc of blood sprayed from her nostrils. The world danced around her, and before she could gain her bearings, Jury shot into the air and pummeled her back into the earth.

"JURY!"

"Ahhhh~! There it is~! Music to my ears!"

The impact wasn't as substantial as Frost was used to. Had Jury struck her any harder, then she no doubt would have broken her back. The floor did not bend nor crack. A violent spike of pain ran up her back as she tried to get back onto her feet.

HP/MP: 254,000

"Haaah… Haaagh… Fuck…"

"I don't have to hurt you. Don't forget that you brought this upon yourself."

"… I am not… giving up… Until I get Jury back."

Her ears rang, and her eyes quivered as she tried to keep them steady on Jury. She swayed on her legs, her body hunched over. But it was never in pain. Frost's body simply could not bear the toll of her injuries, whereas her mind was perfectly acclimated to this level of damage.

She's holding back. I can't figure out why she won't subjugate me. Why hasn't she already ended this? Is she hoping to break me first?

Jury landed meters away with grace. She detached the halo from her head and playfully looped it around a finger.

"I'm right here. I was afraid your emotional stint was going to lead you to manifest the First State. The suppression by the source of the Strings is much stronger than I thought~ Now, what to do with you? I can contain you tenderly in a million different ways."

Frost didn't answer. She was focused on what was stopping Jury from breaking her. No answer came to mind. And so, as Jury approached and as her emotional state continued to rise despite her pathetic state, she used [Analyze Target].

White Glimmer Jury

< Basic Observation >

< A Glimmer conceived from former regrets, hoping to build the future >

< Paged Observation >

< It reigns and it conquers. Three equal parts of the judge, the jury and the executioner. The heart belonging to another has become its own. Regrets shall be no more under its pallid rule >

< PASSIVE: Must… Take… Control…! >

< Suppress it… Until I can take over! >

< EFFECT: White Glimmer Jury's Overall Level is reduced by 200. Cannot reduce the HP of The One Marked for Judgement to 0 >

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.