Chapter 437: Desperation

Sprawled out on the ground next to Aiden was the lifeless body of his Master. Her face contorted into a pain-filled grimace just when she fainted. An honest display of the sheer volume of torment and torturous pain that her entire being was under as the unfamiliar source of energy continued to restructure her entire being.

Being born a human, her body was devoid of a Crystal Core, nor did her biology had the capability to produce one, making the coursing, flowing tumultuous spiritual sustenance all the more horrid to experience.

Even as her consciousness was tucked at the deep recesses of her mind, her body was still fully functional as it was clear by her drenched clothing. Large beads of sweat created a thin layer of a nasty, transparent layer of mucus, making her entire outward appearance look as if she tried to cross the Great Scorching Desert that covered a sizable portion of the Empire's lands.

Looking at his master's suffering, Aiden wasn't sure what to do. How could he help, how could he save her? Physically Number 3 was fit as a fiddle, so looking for Galina or any sort of healer wouldn't do any good. 

Her problem resided in the essence she willingly took into her, either unaware or not caring about the consequences. 

For the first time in almost forever, Aiden felt helpless, his anxiety was rising to an all-time high. Will he be forced to watch as the one that taught him, brought him up would die a painful, miserable death? 

No!

Aiden couldn't accept such an outcome. He would not lose her mother-figure for the third time. He would not acquiesce to this sick, twisted, cruel joke of fate.

Determination, anger mixed together with blind rage, concern, worry, and last but not least, love swiveled inside Aiden, creating a chaotic, emotional storm. The powerful emotions driving his heart into overdrive, a rapid, rhythmic beat pulsed throughout his entire being.

The light in his eyes flickering, the flow of [Soul Power] inside his body began to surge with a violent, feverish momentum once again.

The ground itself began to shake as the primordial entity locked away at the deepest depths in his Soul Space roared. Small rocks, pebbles were lifted off the ground as the invisible pressure formed an aura of absolute domain around his kneeling figure, gaining control over gravity itself.

The golden flickering light in Aiden's tear-stained eyes gradually began to shift, the bright yellow losing its luster, growing paler, transforming into a platinum hue. 

Small, spacial cracks open, as if the very fabric of reality was tearing away under the impossibly strong force. Miniature, golden- and as time went on, platinum-colored sparks, bolts of lightning flared up. 

Inside the crystal prison, the primordial entity roared once again, thin strands of the same platinum-colored substance seeped through the cracks of the walls that kept it locked away.

This energy, that the system itself couldn't analyze in its current state crossed through the spatial tears, and sept into Aiden's Core. 

In the next instant, as his Golden [Soul Power] and the platinum unknown substance mixed together an incredible reaction happened. 

His flow of energy gaining a significant boost, an invisible shockwave of energy exploded from his core crashing into the nearby buildings almost destroying them in the process, whilst at the same time, lifting the nearby residents off the ground and flinging them away several meters, causing them to tumble and crash into whatever was the closest to them at the time.

The explosion was so powerful that its aftereffects were felt all around the city, reaching the academy ground and even the Masked Mistress' mansion as well.

Immediately turning her gaze towards the source, her expression soured, albeit, as usual, it was hidden behind the demon-faced mask. Without hesitation, she drew a curved arc in the air with her right hand. 

As the dark gateway appeared in the next instant, she stepped into it, her figure vanishing instantly, only to reappear in the same alley a moment later. 

She didn't say a single word but began to draw intricate symbols in the air, whilst she chanted in an unfamiliar language. Her entire focus, attention was on the successful completion of the spell as she was aware that if she noticed the disturbance, the other prominent figures did as well…

Meanwhile, oblivious to what was happening around them, Aiden was in the midst of trying to once again gain control of the situation.

As the platinum glow glimmered and illuminated the darkness of the night, Aiden felt a presence he only met once before. At that time, he lost all reasoning and control, and the next time he came to be he was already laying in his bed several days after the fact.

No. He won't lose to it this time! He couldn't falter here, he has to do something, ANYTHING to save his Master!

Focusing every bit of his fiber, he called out for the only person he knew could assist.

'Enya… Do something! ANYTHING!' He cried out mentally.

Almost immediately, the familiar presence emerged from his Soul Space.

Her tone as she responded was different… strangely emotional, yet the same scene of the system's interruption didn't happen this time.

'[Aiden, are you sure about this? What does this human mean to you? How far are you willing to go to save her?]' She asked.

Aiden didn't even spend a second to ponder about an answer.

'Anything! I lost my parents two times already, I'm not going to repeat history a third time! No matter what it takes I'm willing to do it! HELP ME, I BEG YOU!' He cried.

His exclamation caused the little ball of light to almost visibly shake and tremble in her spot. She took a moment before an audible and enigmatic sigh could be heard from her.

Her tone which held a tinge of sorrow at the start, turned gradually firmer as she described his options.

'[I… I understand, Aiden. There are two choices you can take, both will carry a significant amount of risk not just to you but to those you may care about as well.]' 

She gave a momentary pause before she continued on.

'[She is in this situation because her body, being a mere human, couldn't handle the much higher quality [Soul Power]. Her lowly Mana Reserves are being absorbed by it and gradually transformed into its spiritual mass throwing her into a state of Mana Deprivation whilst also gradually destroying her channels. As she has no Core inside her, she cannot use this new source of power and evolve to be fit to this new source.]' She explained with a hurried tone.

'What can I do then? Tell me please! Quickly!' Hearing the explanation Aiden only grew more worried than before.

'[Well… There are two ways to go about this, both are very risky and will have different results. For one, you can simply take back the stolen energy. This would cause her current suffering to come to an end, but will also leave her in this unconscious, Mana Deprived state. Additionally, the damage that was already made would be incredibly difficult to fix, most likely she will remain a crippled being.]'

Aiden frowned as he listened to the first option. Taking this route, he would effectively destroy all hopes and dreams her Master had for the future and leave her as a regular, powerless and weak person. Something he was sure she would rather die than suffer through.

Shaking his head, he asked his System Guide.

'This is not feasible. What else is there to do?'