"So... what you're saying is that we're in a Death Zone in the Dream Realm?"
Sunny could hardly believe what he was hearing.
His memories had become clouded. The only thing he could clearly remember was his first night at the Academy.
Cassie, the blind seer, looked at him with sympathy.
Beside her, Nephis's expression remained calm, though her face had twitched more than once throughout their explanation.
Sunny looked around.
It had taken the entire night for the two girls to explain everything that had happened.
He had learned that they were trapped in the Dream Realm.
Not just anywhere, either.
A Death Zone.
They had ventured deeper into it in search of human civilization.
Along the way, they had encountered Nightmare Creatures of the Awakened Rank and beyond.
The event that had forced Sunny to use both of his Memories, however, had been their battle against an Awakened Demon.
After defeating it, they had barely escaped the mental hex cast by the Soul Devouring Tree.
From what Sunny had gathered, the tree had been the more dangerous of the two.
It attacked the mind directly.
Fortunately, he had used The Crymych to strengthen the Puppeteer's Shroud, enhancing its resistance against mental attacks.
And then there was the egg. Sunny couldn't gather much from what Cassie had said. During their desperate escape, he hadn't had the chance to tell them much about it. According to her, though, it was the egg that had finally snapped him free from the hex.
According to Cassie, most of the plan had relied on The Crymych's enhancement ability. Without it, Cloudy Mind would never have become powerful enough to augment him to that extent and free him from the tree's influence.
A dull headache formed behind Sunny's eyes.
This was going to be a long day.
As the sun slowly climbed into the sky, the sea surrounding them gradually receded.
The ground beneath their feet emerged from the dark water once again.
Sunny studied the landscape in silence.
They had been telling the truth.
He didn't recognize this place.
None of its landmarks matched anything he had ever seen on a map or read about in a book.
Turning back toward the two girls, he asked,
"So... what's in the sea?"
"Sea horrors," Cassie answered, shivering slightly as memories of the night she and Nephis had survived before meeting Sunny resurfaced.
Nephis nodded solemnly.
"We're not sure what Rank they are," Cassie continued after a brief pause. "But from what you told us, you encountered a Great Beast."
She hesitated.
"...And it was killed effortlessly."
Sunny shivered.
Something on the same Rank as Mother...
Killed that easily?
He noticed that Cassie had said "you told us," but dismissed the thought.
His memories were gone.
There was no point dwelling on what he couldn't remember.
Looking toward the horizon, Sunny spotted enormous black walls rising from the earth.
Even from this distance, they looked almost welcoming.
"So I'm guessing that's where we're headed?" he asked, directing the question at Nephis.
She simply nodded.
Sunny walked to the edge of the stone platform and looked down.
"We probably won't reach it today... maybe not even tomorrow."
He glanced back at the two Sleepers.
"I'll need some time to adjust to... all of this."
A small smile appeared on Sunny's face.
"But we'll get there."
⸻
Nephis silently observed Sunny as he fought a Carapace Scavenger.
He looked exactly like the Sunny she had traveled with.
Yet...
Something was different.
His battle art was weaker.
His movements still surpassed those of nearly every Legacy she had encountered.
But compared to the battle against the Awakened Demon...
There was a fundamental difference.
Back then, he had fought as though he were dancing.
Every movement flowed seamlessly into the next, constantly adapting, analyzing, and responding.
Now...
He was merely copying.
There was no rhythm.
No instinct.
No dance.
After killing the Carapace Scavenger, Sunny wiped the blood from his pale skin and looked down at its corpse.
Nephis walked over and stood beside him.
"Your battle art is different," she said matter-of-factly.
Sunny frowned.
"...How?"
Instead of answering, Nephis simply turned and walked away.
Sunny watched her leave before lowering his gaze to his hands.
'Does it have something to do with what my sister told me...?'
Shaking his head, he summoned his runes.
[Shadow Dance]
His eyes narrowed.
The runes shimmered faintly.
Looking into the distance, Sunny spotted two figures walking away.
Thanks to his enhanced eyesight, he could still make them out.
He stared blankly for a moment.
"...Did they just leave me?"
Beside him, Gloomy slowly raised a hand and smacked his own forehead.
Embarrassed on Sunny's behalf.
Sunny immediately broke into a run.
"Hey! Wait for me!"