''Alex, do you know that Gift has a name?"
Niklaus asked Alex; the latter was not surprised as he remembered that Leonardo's Gift is called Excalibur.
''Yeah, I know. However, I don't know my Gift name.'' Alex responded.
''I'm aware of it. Your Gift name is Death Guns.'' Niklaus told Alex the name of his Gift.
''Death Guns?" Alex was puzzled that his Gift got such a simple name. However, just as he was about to question Niklaus, he felt an intense pain in his right chest.
''Gah!"
Alex gritted his teeth to endure the intense pain his body was experiencing; it was as someone took a hot iron and started to draw a tattoo on his right chest.
He endured the pain for what seemed to be fifteen minutes before it went away; immediately removing his shirt, Alex observed his right chest to see a faint tattoo there, a tattoo of a skull.
''What is this?"
Alex asked Niklaus after staring at the faint tattoo on his right chest.
''She is about to wake up. Sigh! To think she would try to force open the seal. Still stubborn as always.''
Niklaus explained, however, the last part was said rather inaudibly.
''What?"
''Nothing. Nyx seems to value you highly; if not, she wouldn't have gifted you her eye. It would be best if you cherished it, cherish them, not to regret it later. Nothing is absolute.'' Niklaus warned Alex.
Alex nodded his head; while he was thinking about that last words, Niklaus seemed to hint at something; as for it's, Alex had no idea, he decided to postpone the matter for the future.
''You can think that your Gift name is pretty simple compared to others; however, sometimes I believe that simplicity is the best. There's a reason for them to be called like that; it is especially related to Nyx. I won't go into detail as I have said more than I should. The rest, you will have to find out on your own—however, a piece of advice from your predecessor. Don't ever let go of them, or else you will regret it, especially Nyx. She is so unique that sometimes I wonder if something like that should exist. I do hope you will follow my advice.''
''I understand predecessor. I will follow your advice.'' Alex promised after hearing Niklaus's advice.
''Good, I shall send you back. Others are about to wake up. Please take care of them, be forgiving and be understanding when dealing with them.'' Niklaus advised again, with the flick of his fingers, Alex was sent away.
Once alone, Niklaus sighed and said, ''Maybe this will be the last time I will see you.''
His body became illusionary and faded.
•••••
Back to the dungeon.
Alex woke up to find Silveria sitting beside him; she was surprised that he would wake up this soon.
''How are you feeling, Master? Is there any problem?"
Silveria asked, concerned. Alex felt touched, he decided to tease Silveria.
''No worry, I'm fine, your Highness.''
Silveria froze for a moment before sighing.
''You must have heard from Niklaus a lot of things, especially about our past,'' she said.
''Indeed, I have. Who would have thought that you were a princess? No wonder you act so bossily.''
''That is something from the past. Currently, I'm just a spirit serving her Master, nothing more, nothing less. Master, I will go out; I need to breathe some fresh air.''
Silveria said before going out. Watching her leave, Alex could only sigh. After packing the tent, he joined her.
Artemia and Isabella were already waiting for him outside; Isabella seemed happy than usual.
''Thank you all for saving my life again. I will surely repay you in the future. I will give you anything you want; say it.''
Isabella said the moment she saw Alex.
''No need. Just help me when I need your help.'' Alex stopped Isabella and said.
''How are you feeling, Artemia?"
''I'm fine, thank you for saving all of us.''
''What are you saying? If it weren't for you, it would be hard to finish him.'' Alex said when he saw that Artemia wanted to gave him all the glory, it was because she restrained the Lich that it became easy for him to finish the monster.
''Fufufu! That bullet of yours was mighty; it even gave me chill. As expected, you are truly unique.'' Artemia commented.
''We all are unique. That God's chains were also something. Let's not waste time here and complete our goal.'' Alex urged them; he wanted to finish everything here quickly as he could to join his sister and lovers.
The ominous feeling he was feeling didn't disappear even after killing the Lich.
''Indeed, let's hurry up. I miss the sensation of a real bed. I think I will go crazy if we spend another week inside this dungeon; let's go, your highness.''
Unexpectedly, like Alex, Isabella urged Artemia. The. Latter could only sigh helplessly before bringing the group to the thirty-first floor.
It was a simple room; in the middle of the room was a magic circle; floating above this magic circle was an illusionary sword with golden chains wrapped around it.
The moment Alex and others entered, this illusionary sword disappeared into the magic circle.
''Protect, I will step into the magic circle and complete my goal. Do not disturb me because I may die if you disrupt the ceremony.''
Artemia warned before starting to walk toward the magic circle with her two glaives.
Alex and Isabella nodded before standing respectively at Artemia left and right to guard her as she sat cross-legged in the middle of the magic circle.
'Sil, how long do you think it will last?'
To kill time, Alex decided to chat with Silveria, who became silent after knowing that Alex knows about their past.
〖I don't know because I have never experienced something like this, nor do I know anyone who has. Just wait, we will see.〗Silveria responded.
'I see, let's wait for them.'
Alex said before closing his eyes like Isabella.
Time slowly passed. Suddenly, Alex felt an immense sense of danger, and without looking, he followed his instincts; he hurtled a knife to his right.
Clangs!
Isabella stepped back to deflect the incoming knife.
''Hehehehe~ As expected of the man I love. Your instinct is truly sharp.'' Isabella said while shaking the spear in her hand.
Alex glared at the girl to used to be his comrade, and now she was trying to disrupt Artemia's ceremony.
''Who are you? What have you done to Isabella?"
Alex questioned the thing that took control of Isabella's body because there is no way the real Isabella would go after Artemia's life; the bond between the two was genuine. Alex could attest it; at some time, something must have taken control of Isabella's body.
〖Master, I sincerely apologize for making such a big blunder, I must have noticed that something took control of-〗
'Do not blame yourself because you are not omnipotent. I'm at blame as well. Let's deal with the thing controlling her first.' Alex cut Silveria off and said.
〖Thank, you Master, to be so understanding.〗
In her world, Silveria smiled when she saw that Alex didn't plan to rebuke her for what happened.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
''You are truly something. I didn't take you a minute to deduct that I'm not Isabella. I wonder where I have gone wrong.''
The thing controlling Isabella inquired; Isabella's voice didn't sound like a woman's voice; it was a mix of female and male voices.
''It is simply because Isabella would never harm Artemia,'' Alex answered while observing Isabella cautiously.
''I see. Too bad that I have to kill you and this bitch. If she had stayed silent, not moving so soon to acquire this thing, we would have left her live a little bit longer. Truly a shame." The thing possessing Isabella said.
''I see, so in the end, you still planned to kill her? How interesting. Do you think that your plan will succeed?" Alex mocked Isabella.
''Sigh! Even though I know what you are after saying those words. It still pisses me off; I don't like being mocked.'' the thing controlling Isabella said while Isabella's face contorted like that of wrath.
'Is there any way to deal with the thing controlling Isabella without having to kill her? I know it's impossible not to injure her. What I want to know is that if there's a way to deal with that thing without killing Isabella.' Alex inquired while secretly dropping two Black Betty's on the ground.
〖Not sure, I'm thinking about a method to save this girl; if we do not act fast, she may lose her life after this thing is done with her. She might turn into dust after the possession ended.〗
Silveria's words made Alex sweat a lot. He must think of a method to keep Isabella away from Artemia until she successfully finished what she was doing while at the same time trying to save Isabella from certain death.
Thinking about everything makes Alex almost sigh.