It turned out Acheron was a woman of her word.
When Sylvia found herself standing opposite her, she realized the power that had once let her effortlessly slay Fragmentum monsters was utterly insignificant in Acheron's presence.
The roar of the blade only reached Sylvia's ears after she'd already been sent flying nearly a hundred meters back, crashing through who knows how many derelict buildings—the scream of sliced air arriving late to the scene.
But that wasn't all.
What was truly chilling was the killing intent Acheron unleashed once she truly seemed to regard Sylvia as an enemy.
In the blink of an eye, Acheron closed the hundred-meter gap, standing before Sylvia who hadn't even had time to rise.
Her finger gently pushed the guard.
Shiiing—
Acheron's eyes burned crimson.
That faint, nihilistic killing intent descended suddenly, bringing with it pressure far greater than before.
The moment Sylvia met those red eyes, that wisp of void-like power stripped away all her ability to resist.
Her body refused to move, defying her own will.
Sylvia felt as if she were sinking into the deep sea, plunging into an abyssal darkness—no light, no sound.
As if everything in the world was fading away with her.
It was only at this moment.
That Sylvia finally experienced the extreme nature of Path energy.
True Nihility could never be equated with 'giving up.' It was the void that denied all existence, a 'nothingness' where even death and destruction didn't exist.
Yet within this 'nothingness,' a blood-red killing intent persisted, relentlessly crushing Sylvia's will.
--+--
Acheron watched Sylvia, who stood completely frozen in place.
She gently relaxed her fingers, the long sword returning to its sheath, its power receding.
"Just as I thought..."
Acheron carefully sensed the power of Nihility. For some reason, the erosion from the Nihility had stopped.
Not just stopped—its effects on her were even slowly fading.
She didn't know how far this regression would go, but even when she went all out, channeling the power of the Path of Nihility, it didn't come roaring back.
This left Acheron's mind unsettled.
Her sense of taste had returned. Even... she felt like she could remember more recent things clearly now.
"Is it because I met you?"
Now calm, Acheron looked at Sylvia, who was still under the influence of Nihility's power, and couldn't resist raising a hand to gently stroke her cheek.
The wisp of power she'd released wouldn't physically harm Sylvia. But it perfectly conveyed the killing intent and aura of her closer to full strength.
This kind of tempering was far more effective for Sylvia.
Even if Sylvia failed, she'd just be out cold for half a day. With Acheron here, nothing would happen to her.
Acheron's fingers traced Sylvia's cheek, her gaze fixed on those vacant blue eyes, murmuring to herself:
"If I were to name the difference between now and the past... it would be meeting you. Could all of this be connected to your ritual?"
Since meeting Sylvia, Acheron had been shocked more than once.
If they were just miracles, why did they cluster so densely after meeting Sylvia?
No one could predict what it would feel like for someone who had fought a futile, endless war against the Nihility, to suddenly find themselves no longer sliding deeper into it.
Her loss of composure days ago had been her true self. This current calm was merely her restraint while the outcome remained uncertain.
Yet even so, the moment this suspicion crossed her mind, she couldn't resist the urge to touch Sylvia, even giving rise to a desire to claim her as her own.
After encountering the Stellaron, would she and Sylvia have to part ways?
They had discussed this before during a rest.
Acheron had her own destination, while Sylvia hadn't yet found her own purpose in this world.
Faced with this question, Sylvia had given an answer:
"My strength is still insufficient. Staying by your side would only mean being a burden forever, and that's not what I want. Didn't you say a while from now, you'll probably go to Penacony for the Charmony Festival? Let's meet again then."
The Charmony Festival on Penacony was something Acheron herself had brought up casually.
She had mentioned other famous places across the cosmos too.
Back when they were chatting, Acheron hadn't thought much of it. But now, she felt a twinge of regret.
Right then.
Acheron suddenly noticed the ring on Sylvia's finger flash twice, though no direct light touched it.
Immediately after, Sylvia shook off the power of Nihility and suddenly opened her eyes.
This scene caught Acheron's attention.
Sylvia, now awake, still felt a lingering fear from the power of Nihility.
That forced descent, the constant loss of sensation and thought, was utterly terrifying.
Even though Sylvia knew this was likely a trial Acheron had set, breaking free from Nihility's influence was incredibly difficult.
Just moments before, when Sylvia felt she was at her limit, two points of light suddenly flared in her vision.
Then, all at once, she broke free from Nihility's power, waking from the descent.
Acheron studied Sylvia closely. Based on her perception moments ago, Sylvia should have been on the verge of succumbing completely.
Yet, after the ring flashed, Sylvia, who should have been lost, broke free so illogically.
"That power just now was Nihility, right?"
Sylvia looked up at Acheron, taking the initiative to mention Nihility.
Lately, whether intentionally or not, Acheron had dropped many hints.
And today, by unleashing the power of Nihility, Acheron had likely prepared herself to speak of it.
Just as Sylvia guessed, Acheron nodded:
"My power comes from the Path of Nihility. Being a Galaxy Ranger is merely a convenient identity."
After speaking, Acheron paused, then asked proactively:
"How did you break free just now? I thought you would fail."
Sylvia was taken aback. It wasn't Acheron revoking the power that woke her?
"Wasn't it you who canceled the Nihility power so I could wake up? Right when I was about to break, two flashes of white light appeared before my eyes, and then I was clear-headed. It wasn't you?"
Two flashes. White light.
Acheron keenly caught the key details, which matched what she'd just seen from the ring on Sylvia's finger.
Now that she thought of it... in the photo from days ago, the ring seemed to be glowing too.
These rings were probably no ordinary trinkets. Could they help ward off Nihility's erosion?
She glanced discreetly at her own left hand, then shook her head.
"It wasn't me. My intention was that if you failed, you'd merely sleep for half a day. I hadn't planned to withdraw it early."
"That's strange then. Could I be a natural talent who had a breakthrough at the last moment?"
Sylvia scratched her head in confusion, wondering if her aptitude in this area was also exceptional.
Acheron neither confirmed nor denied it. She suddenly asked: "Sylvia, that ring you gave me—what significance does it hold in the ritual?"
"Significance?"
Sylvia looked at Acheron, puzzled, unsure why she'd suddenly shifted the topic here.
But she wasn't the type to get as flustered as before anymore.
"It's just a token proving the ritual was completed. It lets others know you've performed the ritual... Of course, that's only the custom in my hometown. It holds no special meaning."
"I see."
Acheron nodded, her right hand unconsciously touching her left ring finger. It was unclear if she accepted the explanation or simply chose not to press further.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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