I patted the Knight's shoulder, signaling him to stop. I began unfastening the rope harness, sliding down from his massive back.
Nothing remained now. Soon, I would return.
God, I'm exhausted.
I looked up at the nest, and I couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration at how truly hideous it was. The nest was spherical, with a jagged circular hole in its center. Usually, such a nest would be built from grass and twigs, but this one was constructed from the branches of the Great Tree itself—each branch as thick as a man's arm. They were twisted and gnarled together in a chaotic pattern, forming void-black walls of obsidian without a single gap.
In the middle of it all sat a grey egg, a meter and a half long.
"Kill it."
I pointed toward the egg, watching with cold anticipation. My dear Echo stepped forward, his Greatsword ready with lethal intent. Just finish this so we can head back.
He raised the sword and brought it down with blinding speed. Almost instantly, the cold voice of the Spell resonated in my ear:
[You have slain a Great Devil: Vile Thieving Bird's Spawn.]
[You have received an Echo.]
Hmm... an Echo?
An Echo? How does a stupid egg possess an Echo?
I summoned the runic symbols to clear my confusion, only to find myself even more perplexed.
Echo: Vile Thieving Bird's Spawn
Rank: .....
Class: ....
Attributes: ....
Abilities: .....
Description: "Even in death, the spawn of this loathsome creature remains alive."
Hmm...
I summoned the new Echo. Immediately, an egg half a meter tall appeared before me. Is this supposed to be an Echo?
Suddenly, a thought struck me. The moment the idea entered my mind, it took root firmly. Well, a little experimentation wouldn't hurt.
I dismissed the useless egg and prepared the rope harness once again. The Knight stepped forward, and I secured myself to his back before signaling him to descend. Bit by bit, we made our way back to the base of the tree.
I picked some of the fruit to eat once I was out of the range of the tree's mental soul-crushing aura. Truthfully, I wanted to kill this tree, but I had no logical way to do it. The moment we attacked, the tree would detect our presence and retaliate.
Forget it. There isn't much time left anyway.
"I'll make sure to kill you in the real world, you cursed tree," I muttered. Definitely, if I ever returned to the Forgotten Shore during the Winter Solstice.
I untied the rope and boarded the boat once more, ready for the final destination of this Nightmare.
The Crimson Tower.
Perhaps it should be called the White Tower.
After a journey that lasted several hours, we finally reached the Scarlet Tower. Or rather, the White one. It seems it only earned its crimson title thousands of years later.
From this distance, nothing was clear yet, but I had my own theories. At this moment, the Seven Heroes of the Forgotten Shore were likely standing before the tower gates. After all, the tower was built on a high hill overlooking the Dark Sea.
And it was highly probable that the tens of thousands of humans destined to be sacrificed for the creation of the Scarlet Tower were already beneath us.
In the catacombs.
There had to be a channel of some sort connecting the catacombs to the tower to allow the sacrifices and the blood of those people to reach it. Well, none of that concerned me.
I circled around the tower, approaching slowly by boat from the side opposite the main gates. Gradually, we reached a cluster of rocks where I brought the boat to a halt. I dismissed the Knight's Echo and climbed onto the rocks alone.
Hmm... my shoulder has healed well.
Perhaps not fully, and maybe I wouldn't be able to fight at a hundred percent, but I could do a lot with it. My Attributes possessed certain healing characteristics that accelerated the process, and the essence-filled fruit I got from the tree helped as well.
I began scaling the rocks bit by bit until I reached the summit of the hill where the tower stood. I turned slightly, blending into the shadows as I slowly approached the other side of the hill.
Hmm.
I found no one. Haven't the heroes arrived yet?
For the first time in my Nightmare, I felt my luck had improved a little. Well, not much—after all, I never intended to fight them. Even if they were there, they wouldn't have sensed me with the Memory I was using.
The gates of the Scarlet Tower were open, which meant the heroes would soon arrive accompanied by the Priestess.
I stepped forward, passing through the gates and entering the tower. It was highly likely the heroes wouldn't enter; they would simply lock the doors behind the Priestess.
And behind me as well. Hahaha.
I ascended the tower level by level until I reached the top. The interior was... magnificent. It was filled with deep carvings and ornate engravings on the stone, giving it a truly grand appearance.
In the end, the Priestess went mad due to the loneliness, and these engravings did nothing to comfort her. I often wondered why the people who devised this plan didn't consider that part—that the Priestess would live for thousands of years as their savior, only to lose her mind as the Vessel of the Sun.
No need to worry. I'll make sure to end her loneliness this time.
I hid in one of the dark corners of the tower, slowing the flow of blood within my body. Even with a Supreme Memory responsible for concealment, there was no harm in being cautious.
And so, I waited in the darkness like a predator waiting for its prey.
There isn't much left.
Soon.
Very soon.
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"Hello, this is the author speaking. Unfortunately, I have exams tomorrow and the day after, so I won't be able to post a chapter tomorrow.
In addition, I'd like to ask for your suggestions for a suitable Flaw for Orion. I haven't decided on the type yet, though I have one in mind. Thank you for reading, and I wish you all a wonderful night!"