"Huu…huu…"
Elena stood in the deepest depths of the Tomb of Ayakashi.
Drip!
Drip!
Droplets of black water leaked from the ceiling and dropped onto the ground around her, the only remains of the opponents she once faced.
'Finally…it's over…'
Her body was stained in dry blood and her spiritual world was filled with cracks caused by the last week of bitter battle. The branch of Yggdrasil she wielded was dyed in an eerie black aura, a consequence of the countless demonic spirits that were vanquished by its body.
She was no longer in the central area. No, she killed that massive agglomeration of demonic spirits within two days.
After that, she moved through the various corridors of the lowest layer of the pyramid and sent every demonic spirit she found back into the clutches of oblivion.
Their total number was close to 60,000, and the endless battle was far more taxing on Elena than she would've ever expected.
In fact, she tried to escape and heal 3 days in, but she found that there were no exits present at all, with even the entrance she found her way through completely gone.
'The amount of blood vitality I've been forced to burn is concerning. I've sacrificed around…15,000 years of lifespan…'
Elena frowned.
'Even though I specialize in Life Laws, my lifespan is still only around 30,000 or 40,000 years. I basically shaved off half my life.'
Blood vitality was a last resort for a reason. The ratio of the amount of blood vitality burned and actual power granted was far too unbalanced.
After all, though the act of sacrificing oneself for power in this way was approved by the universe, it still went against the way of heaven in a certain sense.
Short-term gain without consequences wasn't possible.
'The only thing I can be thankful for is the Genesis Bead trying to heal me.'
Her comprehension wasn't high enough to do it on her own, but the treasure was different.
It was far higher in league than she was, so while it could only do so at a snail's pace, it was still somewhat working to heal her.
'Still, it's not smart to exert myself too much for a few weeks. I should get out of this temple and find a safe place to retreat.'
Elena glanced at the walls around her with a sigh.
'If only I could find a way out…'
The corridors were even stronger than the central area, which had been thoroughly worn down by the power of the coagulated demonic spirits.
It was impossible to leave this place.
…or was it?
Elena's attention abruptly snapped to a glint she noticed out of the corner of her eyes.
Flash!
She appeared in its position in a second and dug her arm into a small hole in the wall.
"Got you!" She exclaimed, grabbing the furry creature at its end.
She pulled it out, ignoring its screeching and scratching as she finally caught sight of her target.
"Hm…?" She muttered.
"The cat distribution system is actually universal?!"
Her eyes lit up magnificently.
In her grasp was a little orange tabby cat, its big and dumb eyes gazing up at her defiantly.
"How did you get here, little guy?" Elena asked, her voice suddenly several pitches higher.
Hisss!
The cat hissed in hostility, making its position clear.
However, to Elena, this gesture only made it cuter.
"Did you get stuck? Do you want me to help you get out?"
Her question was baseless since she had no means of accomplishing what she promised, but she asked anyway.
After all, who could resist those eyes?
Unfortunately, the cat was far less enthusiastic about the interaction than Elena. Regardless of her coaxing and prodding, it only made attempts to flee her grasp and escape.
Elena's eyes hardened.
"Then I can only bring out my secret weapon."
Meow!
The cat purred in fear and cowered as Elena reached into her spatial storage with an extremely evil expression.
"Take this!"
Nyaaaa!
The cat let out a scream and closed its eyes, turning its face away from danger before…!
Sniff…sniff…!
Hm? What was that smell?
It opened a single eye and peeked at its captor, who was currently holding a massive piece of meat in her other hand.
Drip!
Elena grinned as she watched the cat visibly drool.
"Do you want it?" She asked temptingly.
The cat nodded furiously.
It didn't know what she was holding, but it definitely wanted that!
"Hmm, but there's a problem…"
Nyaaa!
"Okay, okay, I can give it to you, but only if you form a contract with me."
Meow?
"Forming a contract with me means becoming partners! We'll eat good meat and have fun together for the rest of time!"
The cat eyed her strangely before glancing back at the meat.
Its eyes moved between the two multiple times before it finally lowered its head.
Elena smiled. "I knew you'd be interested."
She didn't have a cat when she was on Earth, but she always adored the little things. What she knew about them was that they were extremely bratty, extremely cute, and extremely addicted to food!
She gently pressed her index finger against the cat's forehead, initiating a beast contract, which it also accepted.
'I feel like I'm tricking a child, but oh well.'
Elena shrugged as she felt the newly formed connection between her and the little creature.
"Take it. It's all yours," she proclaimed with a smug expression, finally letting go of the cat and throwing the large slab of meat in its direction.
The cat's eyes immediately lit aflame as it rushed to the meat and devoured it.
This texture!
This juiciness!
This utterly magnificent taste!
How come it had never tried something like this before?!
"Hehe, I didn't know you'd love it that much. Since you like to eat so much, should I just call you Fatty?"
Nyaaa!
"I thought so. I'm still going to call you Fatty though."
Elena giggled as the cat glared at her.
"I'll call you Isla when we meet people, but don't think you'll get out of this one when we're alone!"
There were only two proper ways to treat cats.
The first was to coddle them and pamper them to the extreme.
And the second was to bully them as much as possible!
Of course, as a true cat owner, Elena was going to balance both, but that was beside the point.
"Say, how did you get here?" She asked again.
Nya?
Meow!
"Eh? That's possible? Show me where!"
Her eyes lit up excitedly.
From Isla's thoughts, Elena learned the cat was born and grew up within the Tomb of Ayakashi, but it had found several routes to traverse the tomb itself.
Only, it was blocked from ever leaving by a mysterious restriction.
After finishing her meal, Isla skittered through the winding corridors until she came across a nondescript wall, only differentiated by the rest by the faintest scratches on its surface.
"It's here?" Elena asked, receiving a nod in response.
Her smile widened.
Finally, she could leave.
She walked into the wall, and mystically, she passed right through it, her eyes landing on a weathered staircase that led upward as far as the eye could see.
'This is really it!' She exclaimed inwardly as she began making her way up.
She could finally make her way out of this damned tomb.
However, as she made her way up, a thought floated in her mind.
'Is it just me, or is it getting hotter?'
