Chapter 485 - Absolute Gravity

"Much better!"

After stepping into the 'spatial hole', I cheered as I only felt a slight dizziness thanks to 'Transcendent Immunity'!

Recalling my plan as I awaited to reach my destination, I readied up my elements in preparation for my descent. According to my experience, I would end up in another intermediary space to receive the 'key' of the base, which is also my way out.

Wishsh!

'Huh?'

However, after the dizziness disappeared, I didn't find myself standing somewhere or even falling from above, instead…

'A tunnel…?'

In reality, I was falling, but I was surrounded by darkness as I fell through what seemed to be a tunnel, an extension to the hole. Although this situation was the most logical one that occurred to me since entering this gate, it was absurdly unexpected considering where it happened.

'Is it an actual hole this time?'

Since I didn't know what I would see at the end of the tunnel, I tried using my wings that were already out to stop my descent. However…

'I can't?'

As if the laws of gravity acted a bit too aggressively in this tunnel, the only thing that I seemed to be capable of doing was going down. Going up and staying in place seemed impossible!

'So I can only wait?'

Even as I tried to reach the walls of the circular tunnel to hold into it, my hands grasped nothing but empty air. From the looks of it, the rules here seemed to be another of the 'Absolute' series that were already displayed in this gate.

However, even after waiting for a few minutes, the effect of 'Absolute Gravity' persisted as it kept me freefalling in a standing position without any visible intent to let up. There didn't seem to be an end to this 'rabbit hole'.

"Or should I say a mole hole?"

Being capable of almost nothing at this point, I calmed down as I decided to start my preparation for the base in advance.

Considering my unsavory experience where I almost lost my life to the shaman's curse in the last demon base, I didn't plan to be as showy as I did last time. Rather, I planned to use my recent gains to act as stealthily as possible.

Both my latest close encounter with 'death' and the surprising mind infection resulted from handling demons with incomplete preparations. As such, I wanted to deal with this base in a careful manner.

"Long."

Rousing my elements which were in a readily activated state, I called out for Long who had to play his role in my 'Base Exploration' once more.

[Yes?]

Lazily opening his eyes after getting out of the ring, Long almost yawned before answering me, it seemed like he had been sleeping.

"Give me a full invisibility 'Illusion'."

[Hm? You do know that it only works on me because of my size, right? For someone your size, 15 no, 20 points in 'Illusion' would be needed.]

"Just do it, I only plan to use it as an auxiliary method to support my main disguise."

[Oh… I see, so you are going with that. Not a bad idea.]

Feeling 'Illusion' taking effect, I ignored Long's praise as I controlled 'Elemental Interfusion' to convert 90% of my elements into Darkness elements, turning the rest into Shadow ones.

While 5 points of 'Illusion' were indeed too little to make me completely invisible and capable of hiding under the demons' perception, it was enough to support my use of Darkness elements to blend in with the heavily saturated Darkness in a demon base.

Most importantly, the function of 'Two-faced Mask' was specifically compatible with my plan. As an Elemental Art that's used to blend Darkness into something contradicting, its natural concept allowed it to hide my body within its cover. This was exactly why I left some shadow elements to execute a small cycle between the two 'brother' elements.

Lastly, with the insight that I obtained from training 'Darkness Unity', my 'Invisibility' became as close to being perfect as possible. Naturally, that would only work in a special location like a demon base.

'...No skill, huh?'

Although I already expected it, I was slightly disappointed that my combination of elemental manipulation methods didn't produce a skill acknowledged by the system, similar to how 'Flight of The Wind Dragon' came to be. The fact that it required both Long's assistance and had a tough location restriction seemed to have made it short for me to create an 'Invisibility' skill.

However, as I was confirming the effect of my makeshift skill, I snapped out of my deep thoughts as my eyes caught something other than darkness!

A familiar green light shone at a certain distance under me in the tunnel, grabbing my attention as it stimulated my memory the closer I was to it.

'Is this my way out?'

Finally getting close enough to make out the shape of the shining object, I confirmed it to be my key to escaping the gate, but…

'Where's the key to the second floor?'

Considering the law of 'Absolute Gravity' that the tunnel followed, I was unable to think deeply about my question as I focused on catching the crystal. After all, if I were to miss it, I might be stuck in this neverending falling sequence!

The situation seemed to be quite serious. Fortunately, I was able to use my precise control to exert just the right amount of speed and force to not miss the crystal or accidentally crush it, successfully securing it.

'Is this supposed to be a training test?'

Despite seeming like an absurd thought, the easy-to-miss crystal seemed to fit the description of a very serious test to my use of the gate, continuing the cycle of coincidences that started since I entered the gate…

Not letting myself get lost in thought in case a second crystal appeared, with how dark the tunnel was, a black crystal like the key of the base would be very easy to miss!

'Oh!'

Thankfully, it seemed like I was worrying too much. As I inspected the green crystal, I was fortunate to discover that a black crystal was attached to it, making it look like a sand watch. It was just that it appeared almost invisible in the dark. If I didn't physically inspect the object as a whole, even my Perception might have missed it…

'If it was suspended in the air as well…'

Dismissing the dark thought that I had, I carefully held the attached crystal pair, readying my wings and 'Invisibility' before lightly exerting force on the black part of it.

'Now then, shall we proceed with my surprise visit?'