MODE (CELESTIAL) - AUM.

Hilde thought her wings breaking against the ice was painful. There was always something to denounce former conclusions though.

The pain racking her insides was horrific. Her mind and will were barely able to hold on to her inner body as her focus wavered.

She had to will, no, imagine herself holding on tight.

Her cells burned and shriveled then healed. Her muscles slackened like she was being drained of life force and then normalized.

She had sent the energy as well into her bones, watching with lax focus as her bones charred and then healed. With each attempt, she noted the difference.

She saw why the cells absorbed and remained unchanged. But the damaged ones got better and stronger.

The cells that absorbed energy remained unchanged simply doing their duty of absorbing and releasing. But when damaged the cells learned. Using the provided energy they adapted and made an improved cell wall for themselves increasing their capabilities.

This increased not just their defensive measures but also increased their storage capabilities and absorption and energy retention rate. It was maddening to see.

"I could totally create something from this". her mind was all over the place. Plans itching to form, pain trying to break her focus and mind learning from the process.

It was halfway through all these that something changed. Feeling her mind-stretching and getting enveloped as well as the influx of information Hilde rushed up to her mind to see and note the process.

It was amazing to watch.

The golden light was getting denser, and the silver wisps generated became like particles of starlight. The white light of her imagination spread even more. It was like she just realized even more ways to use divine energy.

The divine energy within her body became faster and smoother. It felt like she had been slow before and dragging a heavy block of stone around. Now it was light as a feather and very malleable.

The pain subsided as more energy not controlled by her will flooded her insides and rushed around her body coating the damaged cells. The energy flooded into storage filling it to the brim before the rest rushed off to run laps around every inch of her body.

The energy roamed for seconds at a speed that made a mockery of her control.

The divinity rushed from all corners of her body before arriving at her heart. Hilde for the first time focused on the organ. It was like any normal heart, yet it beat slowly, like a lazy machine without energy.

The divinity rushed around the organ revolving and cleansing it while burning and healing. Hilde lost focus, it was a sharp pain that she couldn't fight.

Her will was unlatched from her insides and she found her eyes opening to the outside.

Blood covered her from head to toe. Dark concealed golden liquid rolled off her and formed a puddle on the ground. Before she could access the damage done to herself her body locked up her face pointing up as if the strings of a puppet were cut.

The radiant golden beam of her eyes that had been dulling in the past minutes of the hordes attacking flared up.

A crisp sound of something shattering within her was audible.

Then a line of notifications appeared in her vision.

[TIER 0 SHACKLE BROKEN]

[SUB-DIVINITY FORMED - COSMIC ENERGY]

[SKILL GAINED - AUM]

[MODE CREATED - CELESTIAL]

[YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR MILESTONE CHALLENGE]

[Leave dungeon - Will end the battle and send you to an alternate zone where you can stabilize your gains]

[Complete lair - Stabilization will be put on hold till needed]

She blinked wondering what to choose only to halt as another prompt flashed into her mind.

[ONE-SPARK HAS SWALLOWED SKILL - AUM]

She blinked.

She blinked again.

" What the HELL!!!" Her scream echoed. The creatures around her were forgotten. If she knew her shard stones were down to the last which was already dimming she might not have screamed so loudly or maybe not.

"You finally show yourself to do something and it is to steal my skill!" she shouted into the screen visible to only her mental sight.

Her palms vibrated from frustration. While she hadn't seen the description of the skill it was certain that a skill gotten from a sub-divinity should be very strong.

Hilde shuddered in annoyance.

[ONE-SPARK REGURGITATING SKILL - AUM]

Hilde's anger transformed into confusion. Was the thing confused?

'Wait regurgitate. The system makes it sound like a living thing.' Hide paused. 'It's not a living thing is it?' she shuddered at the thought of another entity not her living within her.

While she wanted to pull up her status the sound of cracking alerted her. The last shard on her armor was quickly failing. Soon it would shatter.

'Guess I shouldn't let all this exp go to waste. ' she looked around at the horde of beasts.

First, she mentally willed to see the AUM skill.

[AUM] - [SUB-DIVINITY SKILL]

The vibration of the primordial sound in tandem with the creation of the universe. This vibration exists around and within everyone in whatever creation or universe. The humming of energy has existed long before life existed. That sound became the vibration of all creation as the universe was created out of the cosmic intelligent vibration, the ever-present sound of Om.

Effect 2 - Layered with ∆¶•°• this attack carries a slight destabilizing effect. ]

That was just the surface information though. The more concrete details filtered into her now stronger mind. The Creator goddess exhaled before a bright smile bloomed on her face.

'Still, I wonder if One-spark just regurgitated it due to my annoyance or if it intended to improve the skill a bit. And what is this hidden term?'

Regardless the goddess floated down with a confident expression on her face. She could already feel her body leaving its former buffed peak. She quickly brought back the system's former question about completing or leaving the dungeon. Choosing to stay the system pumped her mind with more notifications. Notifications that she couldn't focus on as the shield finally shattered right as her feet touched the ground and her buff ended.

Now back to her normal state, though she felt stronger than before the buff she raised a palm as the line of creatures neared her.

"Let's test that skill". She muttered licking her lips.

Hilde shut her eyes as she concentrated. Her will spread but instead of doing anything like flinging the creatures away or something like that. She searched for something else.

Something she wouldn't have known or even detected before. Now she could see it, she could hear it. She could even feel it. Flowing through her and around her.

It was a skill that could affect her as much as it did others if not careful.

Om. The vibration of the universe. It surrounded her and flowed in her. She saw it, static-like energy without color and form. It traveled even within these creatures and around in all directions.

Her head tilted up as she noted it filling the skies and everything. It was more abundant around the red star of the Winter realm.

"Marvelous" she whispered. The wind blew her golden locks of hair softly. Her now gleaming blue eyes were entranced by the sight. It was like everything was paused. The creatures were already just a breath from her, a shield of will surrounding her and cutting off the Om from around her.

Her will was connected to the Om now, every last strand of it. Something she found would have been very hard if not for the current improved her.

'Have to check my mind and will stats after this'.

She hurriedly locked off the rest of the winter realm from the Om she had in her grasp.

It was a beautiful sight. Even with the sense of foreboding that was gradually rising.

*****

The Arachne devil felt the tingles on its several legs. Its eyes twitched open and close. A sure sign of danger it had learned was its body's instinctive way of warning it.

Things had been going well. The being had been vomiting and bleeding golden revolting ichor. It felt like if it could gain some of that blood and managed to change it, then maybe it would gain some advantages.

He shivered. But he wasn't the only one. Beside him, the red serpent-like deviling hissed defensively as it slithered back and forth. It was evident it felt apprehensive.

Something had changed after the shockwave erupted from the being in the shield. It didn't understand. It wanted to run, had to run.

Danger. Danger. It felt danger.

Each one of these intelligent creatures felt the burn of something in them and around them. Unable to understand it only bothered them more.

The serpent and the Arachne turned to flee only to see something that halted their race. Their beasts had reached the invader.

A screech of triumph accompanied by an excited weird skittering about on the spot was made by the Arachne. Then came the hiss of the Serpentine and several growls and cries of victory from the several intelligent beasts.

A three-armed Imp, two to the left and one to the right with one eye on its forehead grinned savagely as it cracked its seven-finger knuckles.

With the invader dead the next challenge was getting to the blood and the corpse. While impossible to gain a full body as everyone would be daring at a chance to gain power from such a fierce foe it would still be doable.

But if they were fast and strong enough then gaining the power to beat the others and maybe enough to even overthrow the lair ruler could be possible.

The Imp wasn't the only one with such thoughts. Which sadly never came to be.

The Imp turned as a soft vibration moved from the distance. The ground didn't shake, the air didn't move, and there was no rumble or sound.

It just felt a vibration slip past it's skin. Then it felt it rip into him. Right through its insides and force it apart. The last thing it saw was the serpent burst into gore right before the cold touch of the nether claimed its soul.

*****

Arayat had never been so terrified in her life. The goddess bleeding had been the prime moment to deal with this entity that dared to cause such a massacre in her lair.

While death was not something she frowned at, one at such a level would have undermined her authority. While she had no bother over the lowly worms that schemed and connived for her throne an outside eye was worrisome.

She had held back though when she saw the assaulting beasts and the shield fail. The girl with all the injuries couldn't survive.

Arayat just had to make sure none of the schemers gained advantages from it.

Yet nothing she had expected happened.

One moment she was wondering which of her generals to send down and the next the hordes were gone. Not gone, just no longer whole, completely gored into nothing but blood and organ parts.

Arayat felt the urge to heave for the first time in a thousand years since her birth.

Her hands trembled as fear rattled her.

Just two more steps and she would have been just like them. If the range of whatever had attacked even extended beyond the last of them an inch she would have been dead.

Arayat found herself stumbling back just a step, her invincibility spell canceled from her lack of focus.

"Oh, there's one more. I didn't see you there". a voice spoke. Its owner was far but Arayat swore it sounded close to her.

" Oh well. Die".

"Please wait." Arayat found herself on her knees without a hint of a fight.

"Please spare me." She begged. Without even waiting for a reply she sent out a quick contract.

"Slave contract? I'd never believe a Deviless would be so scared as to offer herself up for slavery." the voice announced sounding more confused than amused.

Arayat didn't dare look up for fear of getting erased.

"I'm not as strong as other Devils and Devilless. I'm just a few thousand years old. If you killed me I'd die and while I might get avenged that would do nothing for me since I'd still be dead".

" Hmmm. That is quite true. So you feel your pride is not worth your life?".

Arayat had to grit her teeth before replying, remembering the being had destroyed a horde of lesser beings without moving. While she didn't understand or know how she knew she didn't want to test it out.

"Yes. I didn't become the Lair mother because of my pride but my instincts"

"And if I refuse and still end you, doesn't that mean your instincts are false?" the voice sounded puzzled.

"No, I'm in danger. My instincts warns me. It doesn't mean I get to escape the danger or not. It means I know how to survive, and the process of doing it is up to thy fate" she made herself sound as confident as possible. Who knew what kind of slave this being liked.

" I've never had a slave before. This should be troublesome. I don't like the idea either, but killing you would bring a bad taste to my mouth. I'm not evil. Hmmmh" the being seemed to contemplate

Arayat blanched. Who knew her chances of living could be besmirched by something as trivial as being good to a fault? The irony. Feeling rushed to make sure she gave the lady, it was most certainly a lady, the option to let her live while not being sad about it she quickly withdrew and re-offered a new contract.

"Oh. That's different. Dangerous and bold but better. "

"I simply want to live mam. If the slave contract or this pleases you please spare me." Arayat bowed even lower while on her knees head touching the ground.