East of Hedonism

Al ran alongside Ellie, both quietly trailing a red and white deer with two heads. Thanks to Ellie's etheric shell - her mirror - which made them both invisible, they went completely unnoticed.

"I'm actually glad Ellie chose to come with me. Her Reflective Will makes following this Dark Acolyte so much easier," Al thought. The two easily kept up, making little noise.

To the Northwest, Jin, Cesar, and Agnethe continued their path straight toward the 19th Mortal Ring of the Evergreen Leaf. "Maybe we should have gone with them?" Agnethe mentioned, expressing a growing sense of unease since Al and Ellie had left.

"No, I think it's good we start moving apart more and more. After all, the chances of us remaining together after the 301st Mortal Rings tournament are really small. Al and Ellie are most likely going to place and become Recognized Disciples of one of the God Leafs, and Cesar too! But me and you, Agnethe, we should try and get every advantage we can," Jin said.

Agnethe had come to a similar conclusion, but still, a feeling gnawed at her. Cesar had noticed how Agnethe and Ellie had grown a lot friendlier toward each other after Agnethe had seen Marcy alienating her own daughter Ellie.

"Look Agnethe, if they don't catch up to us by morning, then you can go out and look for them. As a 120 ft giant, I'm sure a trip back and forth should be easy if they truly are in danger and need help. I'm sure you'll be able to easily get the attention of me and Jin. You can throw a stone a good hundred miles if you need to," Cesar said, trying to find a way to ease Agnethe's concerns. As Captain of their Phantom Seed, he had grown to care for their concerns. Agnethe nodded her head, and they continued moving at a slower pace to allow Ellie and Al to catch up.

For about an hour, Al and Ellie continued their pursuit in silence. The two-headed deer they were trailing suddenly slowed down. In the darkness, illuminated only by the half-moon hanging brightly in the night sky, an orange light began to glow in the distance.

The strange creature seemed drawn to it and gradually moved closer. Al and Ellie maintained their distance but followed suit, their caution high.

As they drew closer, the light revealed itself to be a giant campfire, casting dancing shadows that played among the nearby trees. One of these shadows passed over the two-headed deer, and in an instant, it transformed into a beautiful, naked woman.

Giggles of excitement bubbled from her lips as she scampered towards the campfire. Al and Ellie exchanged perplexed glances before cautiously continuing.

Pushing through dense underbrush as quietly as possible, they soon stumbled upon a surreal scene. A vast gathering of naked men and women reveled, their laughter mingling with the night air. The atmosphere was charged with a palpable energy, and the participants engaged in various acts of intimacy, creating a garden of earthly delights.

Ellie turned to Al, who was staring at something confusion clear in his eyes. His gaze seemed to be locked onto something that had captivated him amidst the bizarre scene. Near the fire, a woman was engaged in an intimate encounter with men and women she seemed to be the center of it all.

Her eyes were an intense shade of green, so vivid that they seemed to glow. Those emerald eyes appeared to lock onto Al, and their owner seemed to be able to see him, staring directly at him. Ellie followed Al's gaze and noticed the woman, who was undeniably striking.

However, it soon became apparent that the woman was not looking at Al but rather at a man just a couple of feet in front of the two.

As if under a hypnotic spell, the man slowly approached her. She grabbed his jaw, as if studying him intently, then pulled him toward her, engaging him in a passionate kiss. She gazed up at the moon and began laughing manically.

Al and Ellie watched in a mixture of apprehension and horror as the woman's fingers lightly traced across the man's throat, prompting a sudden spray of blood that drenched her in crimson liquid. The man tried crying out but was only able to let out a muffled gargling noise while he placed his hand over his throat trying to stop the bleeding.

The others in the gathering, consumed by a twisted ecstasy, eagerly licked the blood from every inch of her skin. Unable to bear witness to such depravity, Ellie turned away, her stomach churning.

With a cruel kick, she sent the bleeding man stumbling towards the fire. There were no screams, only a desperate struggle before he collapsed into the flames

Meanwhile, Al took an inadvertent step forward, his Stubborn Will seemingly drawn to the woman like a moth to a flame. In that careless moment, he became visible, shattering the eerie revelry. The entire party abruptly halted, their frenzied actions giving way to stunned silence.

"Look what has fallen near my feet, a sweet little precious Stubborn Will Cultivator," she purred, her voice dripping with sinister amusement. "You should keep me entertained until I finish my visit to the East. But first, come and tell me how you managed to go undetected by me until now."

Almost instinctively Al began to move toward her, but he forcibly stopped himself. Realizing his cover was blown, he glanced back to ensure Ellie was still concealed. She was, providing him with a modicum of reassurance.

Al ventured, his curiosity piqued. "By the way you speak, I'm assuming you're not a cultivator. Are you a Dark Acolyte? I've never actually spoken to one before. I didn't even know you could talk,"

She seemed both amused and annoyed by Al's questions. "Don't compare me to these beasts; they wish they were me. Neither am I a cultivator. You people are dull and boring. I do as I please when I please; I am no slave to cultivation." With a flourish, she raised her hand, and the fire responded, burning with an eerie, deep green hue, reducing the man's remains to ashes in an instant.

A thick, potent smoke billowed from the fire, impossible to evade. As it entered Al's nostrils, he felt his body grow unnaturally heavy. The woman rose, making her way towards the immobile Al, an aura of ominous power emanating from her.

Ellie watched, her breath steady, senses alert, waiting for the opportune moment to make her move. The strange smoke that had filled the air seemed to weigh Al down, rendering him nearly immobile. However, he could feel a surge of determination breaking through the spell.

The woman, now in front of Al, tenderly caressed his face, her touch unnervingly gentle as it trailed down his chest. She leaned in, allowing him to feel the warmth of her breath against his lips. Al's thoughts raced, acutely aware of the danger posed by the woman's sharp nails, now dangerously close to his most vulnerable area.

A concentrated beam of light shot forth from her, aimed directly at the woman's head. In an instant, Ellie became visible, her mirror at her side, transforming into a reflective clone with a single thought.

Though the green-eyed woman easily evaded the attack, she was forced back from Al's side. With a small, mocking laugh, she remarked, "So you have a little girlfriend with a special technique. Let's see how long before I have you in my fingers?"

With her echoing laughter, the scene descended into chaos. The hundred or so naked men and women began to scream and cry in agonizing pain as they transformed into Hybrids. However, there were Dark Acolytes among them, like the two-headed deer who fled the scene. The few who remained human were paralyzed by fear and soon met gruesome fates, torn apart by the Hybrids.

Ellie fought valiantly, her real form disappearing as her reflective clone engaged in a fierce battle. With a powerful strike, the clone was hit by a devastating blow which it reflected shattering a horse with the head of an alligator. Her mirror, now back in its original form, swiftly shot a reflective beam, obliterating another threat. The real Ellie didn't rely on her mirror's presence for invisibility, as she was the wielder of the Reflective Will.

Al, on the other hand, remained motionless, and in an instant, he was devoured to pieces by various hybrids a hippo-like tiger that consumed his etheric shell. Ellie's mirror became the ultimate defensive and offensive weapon, creating a deadly barrier around it. Anyone who ventured too close met instant death or injury, their only recourse to evade the deadly beam.

Amidst the chaos, the woman with green eyes watched, savoring the sight of the two cultivators struggling for their lives.

To the woman's amusement, Al tore his way out of the hippo-tiger's belly and launched himself directly toward her, despite the dozens of Hybrids that filled his path. Midnight Abyss was unleashed, plunging everything into an abyss of darkness. Even the woman's laughter ceased momentarily. When the light from the campfire returned, Al was wielding a shadowy blade, which he promptly stabbed into the ground, twisting it.

Shadows danced and flowed towards him like a black river, drawn like a magnet to his blade. Obsidian crystallized armor began to form, encasing him completely in its protective embrace. The transformation occurred in the blink of an eye.

As fast as Al had armored himself, the woman made her move. She pointed her two fingers at him, and they extended instantaneously, forming sharp, needle-like nails. They struck Al's chest plate, right where his heart was, but to the woman's astonishment, they didn't even come close to piercing the obsidian armor.

In response, Al swung his shadowy dark blade, with his twisted knife serving as its handle. The shadow blade devoured everything it touched, slicing through her copper-like nails as if they were butter. Al then began a mesmerizing demonic sword dance, captivating the woman with green eyes.

Behind her, an obsidian pillar erupted from the ground, aiming to rip her into pieces. Yet, a sudden green explosion enveloped her the moment the pillar struck. She had vanished without a trace.

In the midst of the chaos, Al's focus shifted entirely towards the swarming hybrids. He didn't have to use his pillars against them as he effortlessly sliced through them, his blade consuming even the hardiest of adversaries. Ellie, too, joined the battle, and within a mere 30 seconds, their enemies were reduced to nothingness.

Just as victory seemed imminent, the campfire erupted with newfound fury, its flames turning an eerie shade of green. The woman with green eyes materialized, unleashing a torrent of green fire directly towards Ellie. Al lunged towards the attack, seeking to consume it with Midnight Abyss, but to his surprise, the green flame split into two separate tendrils.

But the green flame split into two, with one part hitting Al and the other zeroing in on Ellie, who hastily employed her etheric shell, her mirror, as a defensive barrier.

Both Al and Ellie were engulfed in flames, a vicious, unrelenting fire that seemed determined to consume Al's obsidian armor through sheer force. He appeared as a haunting, armored specter wreathed in flames. All he had to do was draw his blade near his armor to devour the flames and protect himself.

Yet, a harrowing scream echoed through the woods as Ellie's mirror began to melt under the overwhelming power of the green flame. It felt as though the fire sought to reach Ellie through the connection she shared with her etheric shell, inflicting intense pain upon her.

As Al felt the familiar sensation of his Midnight Abyss approaching its one-minute limit, panic surged through him. "Shit, I only have a few seconds!" he thought frantically. With determination, he turned to Ellie, swiftly waving his blade, summoning a pillar from beneath her. "Do not come back for me, leave and get help!". The pillar lifted Ellie and propelled her like a speeding bullet, carrying her miles away into the sky.

Al then launched himself toward the campfire, swinging his sword to devour the flame, plunging the forest into pitch-black darkness. Just as he did so, Midnight Abyss dissipated. Even in the darkness, Al, as a Cultivator rooted in the material plane, could see clearly. He didn't bother attempting to flee; he knew it was futile. No one had ever emerged unscathed from his Midnight Abyss. This woman was the first to do so.

In the inky blackness, Al could discern a hand extending toward him, reaching for his chest where his heart lay. The unmistakable hand belonged to the green-eyed woman.

Miles away, Ellie was desperately running through the forest. Her etheric shell had been destroyed, rendering her unable to manifest her Will. Uncertain if she was being pursued, she continued to flee, her injuries from the fall hindering her progress. She hadn't felt so vulnerable in years, a sensation that unexpectedly brought back memories from her childhood.

Suddenly, she stumbled and fell, worsening her injuries. Scared and alone, she turned around and suddenly began to cry, uttering the word, "Mommy," before darkness consumed her.