Chapter 525: Vengeful Ghosts
Six days later, the cohort had almost reached the safe haven of the Citadel. The speed with which they traveled reduced significantly due to the heavy wounds the Fire Keepers had sustained, so all things considered, it was a very good result.
As days went by, their healer had continued tending to his companions, so by now, most had already recovered — except for those like Shakti with especially grave injuries, of course. Those would only be healed after they had returned to the real world and then came back. Even then, their physical bodies were going to sustain serious internal damage and require a prolonged period of treatment.
As the sun disappeared in the Sky Below, the cohort reluctantly made camp. From where they were now, only a handful of islands separated them from the Sanctuary. However, some of those islands were populated by Nightmare Creatures too dangerous to attempt traversing their hunting grounds, so the Fire Keepers were going to have to make a big detour.
Since traveling in the darkness was a big risk, they had no choice but to spend another night in the wilderness and continue their journey tomorrow.
Sunny didn't mind.
When everyone fell asleep, he quietly turned into a shadow and slid unseen between the lookouts. The darkness of the night might have been a threat to them, but to him, it was an ally.
For Sunny, it was time to hunt.
He had been venturing alone into the deadly expanse of the Chained Isles for the past five nights, and this one was not an exception.
During that time, Sunny had taken more risks than he usually would, challenging Nightmare Creatures that he had studied before, and those that he knew almost nothing about. Hunting the latter ones was a deadly endeavor, but with Saint's help, he managed to emerge victorious from each battle without sustaining too many wounds.
The Undying Chain had also played a big part in his success, since even when Sunny received damage, it blocked most of it. Nothing had been able to pierce the bleak steel of his new armor yet.
…Gliding across the heavenly chain, Sunny approached a neighboring island and soared into the sky, then crushed heavily to the ground. The silver blade of the Cruel Sight gleamed, reflecting starlight as it manifested in his hand. Sunny rose to his feet and grunted, then walked forward with a dark expression.
The island he just reached was descending, but still high enough for him to feel the remnant effects of the Crushing. Still, Sunny didn't care. Tonight, nothing was going to stop him.
He was just one step away from fully saturating his cores.
Sunny walked between tall, jagged stones, approaching a large ruin that stood forlornly near the center of the island. He had been to this place and explored it before, so he knew what kind of abominations made their nest in the ancient structure.
The ruin might have been beautiful once, but now, it was warped and misshapen, its walls full of cracks and on the verge of collapsing. Sunny didn't know what purpose it had once served, and how it was destroyed, but had concluded many months ago that a terrible battle must have taken place inside the ruin once.
The clues were in the central hall of the shattered building, where the stones were damaged and looked like melted wax. Its walls had collapsed outward, which told him that whatever force had devastated the structure had come from within, as opposed to from the outside.
Regardless of any of that, he had fought the dwellers of the ruin before. There were two types of Nightmare Creatures inhabiting the island of jagged rocks. The first ones were of the Awakened Rank, and resembled stone gargoyles. They had lived near the edges of the island, and Sunny had already killed most of them, if not all, during his first months on the Chained Isles
The gargoyles never went near the ruin itself, because there were much more powerful creatures dwelling inside the ancient building. Those were of the Fallen Rank, and looked like beautiful specters. Beneath their eerie beauty, though, hid an ocean of madness, evil, and bloodlust. The first time Sunny had encountered these wraiths, he barely escaped alive.
Luckily, the wraiths only appeared at night.
...And now that he was much stronger and had the Cruel Sight, which had the ability to harm incorporeal enemies, this night was going to be their last.
Summoning his helmet, Sunny looked at the ruin through the narrow slits of his visor, and walked into the darkness that reigned between the ancient stone walls.
***
[...Your shadow grows stronger.]
Sunny growled, jumping back from the ghostly form of a beautiful young woman he had just pierced with the incandescent blade of his spear. Or rather, she had seemed beautiful before showing her true face — a twisted, terrifying maks of inhuman hatred and corruption, ancient madness burning in the dark, bottomless pits of her eyes.
Fighting phantoms had turned out to be much harder than he had anticipated, even if the [Ghost Blade] enchantment of the Cruel Sight allowed him to strike them down. Not only because their movements were fast and unpredictable, defying the logic of combat he was familiar with, but also because their attacks seemed to be able to deal soul damage as well.
In fact, the claws of the wraiths of the ruin were able to bypass armor completely. The Undying Chain mitigated some damage due to its higher Rank, but not enough to make the battle even remotely easy. Currently, Sunny felt weakened and in the throes of terrible pain, as if he had spent too much time in the vicinity of the Broken Oath.
'Curses…'
This just went to show that one could never feel safe in the Dream Realm. After receiving a Transcendent armor, Sunny had allowed himself to become too complacent. He should have known better than to forget that, no matter how powerful a person was, all it took to die was one mistake.
Every power had a flaw, after all.
But still, he wasn't going to retreat now.
As an ear-piercing scream echoed from the stone walls, growing closer and closer, Sunny gritted his teeth and summoned the runes.
Shadow Fragments: [1994/2000].
He raised the Cruel Sight and faced the direction of the eerie shriek with a grim smile.
'One more to go…'
Chapter 526: Demon
Before the wrathful specter had time to appear, Sunny attacked first.
Stepping through the shadows, he passed through the stone wall in front of him and entered a vast ruined hall. It was illuminated by the pale rays of moonlight that fell through the broken roof, but also full of deep darkness.
That darkness was cut by the bright radiance emanated by the incandescent blade of the Cruel Sight.
Jumping other a pile of rubble, Sunny brought his spear down on the howling wraith and then spun, sending an unexpected thrust in the direction where any enemy would have retreated.
Sadly, the apparition was suddenly somewhere else.
'Curses!'
The wraiths moved through space as if they were suspended between two worlds, as well as between the ground and the night sky. Their feet, if they had any, never touched the stone floor, and as such, Sunny couldn't observe their footwork to judge their next move.
What's worse, sometimes they simply disappeared and then appeared some distance away, as if phasing between different states of existence.
…It was a bit like fighting Sunny himself, when he used Shadow Step to zip around the battlefield.
'So annoying…'
Dashing forward, he barely avoided the ghostly claws and rolled over his shoulder on the floor. The steel of the Undying Chain scraped against the shattered stones, producing a dull sound.
Considering how narrow the slits of the featureless mask that served as the visor of his helmet were, Sunny had a surprisingly wide and unobstructed field of view, almost as if he wasn't wearing any at all. Jumping back to his feet, he was finally able to take a good look at the hall he had entered.
'Ah, so that's where she was coming from.'
It was the central chamber of the ruin, where, as he suspected, a fierce confrontation had taken place in the ancient past. The stone slabs of the floor were cracked and misshapen, the pattern of destruction suggesting that something had detonated with tremendous force in the center of the hall once.
The pillars supporting the roof were long toppled, and the walls themselves had mostly collapsed. In the center of the room lay the remains of something resembling a massive stone chalice, now broken and almost unrecognizable.
…And there were human bones littering the floor.
Some skeletons were scattered entirely, and some were still whole. A few even wore the rotten remains of red silken garments that strongly resembled those of the deadly specters. Sunny had no doubt that these were the remains of people from whose souls the ghastly wraiths had been born.
He had no idea how they had died, why their souls had turned into vengeful specters instead of dissipating into the void, and what drove them to madly attack anyone who approached the ruins… all he knew was that the wraiths were very hard to destroy and full of seething hatred toward the living.
…Or maybe they just really hated him in particular, for whatever reason.
He grinned, and then brought his armored boot on one of the skulls, crushing it into dust. That caused the damnable specter to let out another chilling shriek and lunge at him with murderous fury, as if she had lost all reason… if the creature had any reason, that is, to begin with.
Which was precisely what Sunny was hoping for.
His body, conditioned by the endless hours of practice with Effie and Saint, reacted almost on its own. Shifting his weight to his right foot, Sunny burst with motion and threw his hand up. The polished shaft of the Cruel Sight slid between his fingers, suddenly extending forward to its full length. He only caught it near the very end.
The reach of this strike was truly incredible, compared to how far a tachi like the Midnight Shard could effectively cut. The incandescent blade caught the wraith in the chest, sending tongues of white flame dancing on her spectral figure.
Divine flames could burn even souls, after all.
However, even engulfed in flames, the creature continued its attack. Since it was impossible to recover from performing such a strike quickly, Sunny would have been in trouble… luckily, the Cruel Sight was a very special weapon. Its shaft started shortening at the same speed as the wraith was advancing, continuing to burn it without a pause.
In the end, Sunny found himself face to face with the hateful apparition, gripping the hilt of a short sword. Without wasting any time, he pulled it upward, slicing through the incorporeal body of the enemy and reaching her neck.
White flames suddenly tore through the darkness of the creature's eyes, and before her ghostly claw could reach his flesh…
Just like that, the wraith was destroyed.
As her figure shimmered and started to disappear, Sunny let out a shaky breath, then summoned Saint from the shadows and threw the Cruel Sight to her.
"Guard me."
[You have slain a Fallen Demon, Chalice Maiden.]
The taciturn demon calmly caught the sword, weighted it in her hand, and then assumed her usual indifferent pose.
[Your shadow grows stronger...]
Sunny gritted his teeth.
'Ah, this is going to suck.'
The voice of the Spell resounded once more, echoing in the darkness of the ruined hall:
[Your shadow is overflowing with power.]
He screamed and fell to his knees, feeling as though his very soul was on fire, as though something was rising from its dark depths, ripping it apart.
[Your shadow is taking shape.]
'D—da… damn it all! Why does it have to hurt so much?!
Sunny groaned and clawed at the floor, tears streaming from his eyes. The fingers of his armored gauntlet left deep grooves in the stone. The pain he was experiencing was not the worst he had ever felt, but really up there.
"Argh!"
He slammed his fist down, sending cracks through the slab of ancient stone, then did it again and again, pulverizing it into tiny shards.
Eventually, those shards turned into dust, and only then did his agony finally begin receding.
The Spell whispered into his ear:
[Your shadow is complete!]
Released from the paralyzing pain, Sunny fell down and sprawled on the floor. Breathing raggedly, he remained motionless for a few minutes, and then summoned the runes.
Familiar symbols shimmered in the air:
Name: Sunless.
True Name: Lost from Light.
Rank: Awakened.
Class: Demon.
Shadow Cores: [3/7].
Shadow Fragments: [0/3000].
Sunny smiled weakly.
After a while, he said:
"Back to zero, I guess..."
Chapter 527: The New Guy
Now that Sunny had experienced moving up a class without simultaneously rising to a new Rank, he understood the difference between the two more clearly.
Ascending to a new Rank was a much more profound change. It elevated the quality of his shadow cores and essence, gifted him with new abilities, and allowed for a deeper access to his Aspect. The resulting jump in power was nothing short of tremendous.
Reaching a new Class, on the contrary, primarily affected the quantity of his shadow essence, and as such, the increase in power was much more gradual. Sunny didn't feel much stronger than he had a few hours ago… but that was because he had already been enjoying the extra strength and essence capacity for a long time.
In fact, the main benefit of having several cores had been aiding him ever since Sunny passed the one-thousand mark on the counter of shadow fragments. Unlike all other Awakened — excluding Nephis — there was no limit to his capacity to store essence and reinforce his body. Or rather, that limit was so high that it might have as well not been there.
…However, that was not to say that Sunny didn't get other, incredibly potent benefits from manifesting a third shadow core.
Standing up with a groan, he allowed the moonlight to bathe his slender figure and looked down, at the three dark silhouettes sprawled on the ancient stones in front of him.
One shadow looked like it was suffering from a toothache, the other was beyond itself and jubilant, and the third one…
'Uh…'
The third shadow was just standing there motionlessly and staring at him, its dark figure not betraying any hint of emotion. Under its silent and unnerving gaze, he suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.
For some reason, Sunny shivered slightly.
'Is it just me, or is this guy a bit… uh… creepy?'
The creepy shadow didn't react at all to this thoughts and just continued staring at him without moving.
Sunny hesitated, then cleared his throat.
"Uh, well… welcome to the team. Meet the other two, your elder siblings."
The new shadow lingered for a few moments, and then slowly turned its head to look at his other ones.
Immediately, the happy shadow made an energetic move to welcome it, but then stumbled midstep, shivered a little, and slowly backed away, somehow ending up hiding behind the gloomy one.
The gloomy shadow sighed with contempt, then faced the new guy and glared at him, clearly unimpressed. Amused, Sunny watched the two stare at each for several minutes straight.
In the end, the creepy shadow glanced at him, then silently walked over to one of the ancient skeletons and studied the skull with disturbing fascination.
…It was trying to act cool, but Sunny could tell that the new guy was a bit flustered.
He smiled.
'That's right… that gloomy one is a real menace! Even I am afraid of him, a little!'
The gloomy shadow looked at both of them with disdain, shook its head, and indifferently turned away.
Sunny chuckled.
'Alright… time to experiment a little.'
After that, he summoned all three shadows and wrapped them around his body. Immediately, he felt explosive might course through his veins, his skin turning hard as stone, his speed increasing tremendously. It was as though he grew four times more powerful than he had been a couple of seconds ago.
A dark grin found its way onto his face.
'So that is how it feels to be a demon…'
Sunny dashed to the wall of the vast chamber, then ran back, raising a gale of wind in his wake. Then, he brought his fist down on a piece of rubble, making it explode into a cloud of shards. Finally, he saturated his muscles with essence and jumped up, easily flying a dozen meters into the air and climbing onto the roof of the ruin through the breach in the dome of its central hall.
His heart was beating fast in triumphant exhilaration.
"Incredible! This is amazing!"
Sitting down, he glanced at Saint, who was far below him now, and laughed.
Sunny was more powerful now than any Awakened was supposed to be. In fact, in terms of pure physical ability, he was much closer to Masters, perhaps even at the same level as those of them who had just reached their Rank and had no time to reinforce their cores yet.
That was not to say that he had a good chance of prevailing in a fight against an Ascended. Physical ability was not what made them so deadly, after all. Remembering the ease with which Master Jet had severed the arm of a Fallen Tyrant, Sunny sighed wistfully.
What's more, he now had the ability to augment three things at the same time. If Saint wasn't with him, Sunny could enhance his body, his armor, and his weapon simultaneously. Depending on the situation, he could also stack augmentations either on the Cruel Sight or the Undying Chain, which gave him much more choices during a battle with especially tough or dangerous opponents.
And there was one other thing…
Sunny summoned the runes and glanced at a particular string:
Shadow: [Soul Serpent].
Shadow Rank: Dormant.
Shadow Class: Demon.
'Aha! Just as I thought.'
Before, the Soul Serpent was a mere Monster. Sunny had long thought that the Shadow's Rank depended on the level of Shadow Dance comprehension he was able to achieve, while its Class depended on his own. Now, he had proof.
Looking down, Sunny noticed new runes shimmering in the darkness.
Shadow Attributes: [Shadow Guide], [Soul Weapon].
Shadow Abilities: [Serpentine Steel].
The Ability was new. Excited, he read its description:
[Serpentine Steel] Ability Description: "Shadow Serpent's Soul Weapon form can assume the shape of any weapon."
A crooked smile appeared on his face.
Commanding the Serpent to slither forth and assume the shape of the dark odachi, he studied the great sword for a few moments, and then gave another command. The lusterless blade suddenly flowed like black mercury, and a few moments later, he was holding a long spear in his hand.
Almost unseen on the dark wood, the scales of a long coiling body were engraved on its shaft, the spearhead shaped to resemble that of a serpent.
Sunny drew in a deep breath.
'This is perfect. This is just what I needed…'
Dismissing the predatory spear and allowing the Shadow to slither back onto his body, he looked east, where a pale lilac line had already appeared over the horizon, and smiled.
"...I should be getting back."
The new day was coming, and Sunny couldn't wait to return to the real world.
With only a few months left until it was time to challenge the Seed of Nightmare, he had a lot of things to do…
Chapter 528: Personal Style
A few days later, Sunny was in his living room, watching as Rain performed the same strike over and over again, her eyes full of stubborn determination. The practice sword rose and fell, over and over again, cutting the air with a whistling sound.
…Actually, her form wasn't bad.
Effie was currently traveling between Citadels, so she had not come out of her sleeping pod for a while now. Sunny and Rain were alone, which made the training session much less lively.
'Finally, some peace and quiet…'
Despite thinking that, Sunny couldn't help but feel that his home seemed a little bit empty these days.
He sighed.
There were other things on his mind, too.
Now that his part of the deal with Cassie was complete, the journey into the Nightmare was drawing close. No matter how aloof about the whole thing Sunny wanted to remain, he was aware that there was a real possibility that he would not return from that trial alive. Even if he did, there was no telling how long conquering the Nightmare would take.
Which meant that his remaining time with Rain was limited, and he couldn't waste it.
He had to accelerate her training and teach her some actual battle skills.
Observing the teenage girl, who continued to swing her practice sword while drops of sweat rolled down her face, Sunny was in deep thought.
What style was he going to teach her?
Rain was his sister, so his first instinct was to share his legacy, Shadow Dance, with her. Almost as if they were members of an actual clan...
However, that wasn't a very good idea.
Not only was her mentality poorly suited for his shapeless and insidious battle art, but she was also physically incapable of learning it.
Since everyone received extensive combat training in school, there weren't really a lot of weak people in the waking world. But Shadow Dance was simply not meant to be practiced by mundane humans. It demanded a physical constitution of an Awakened, at least.
Sunny was only able to master the first step as a Sleeper because of his unique Aspect, hundreds upon hundreds of shadow fragments he had absorbed on the Forgotten Shore, and the fact that this style was tailor-made for him, by him.
What, then?
The flowing and unpredictable battle art that Nephis had taught him obviously came to mind. It was designed to be a perfect foundational style, after all. However, Sunny didn't like the idea of teaching it to Rain. Not only because he felt that he didn't have the right, but also because it came from the Immortal Flame clan.
Sunny suspected that this ingeniously adaptable battle art had been created by the martial genius, Broken Sword himself. He also had an idea of who Broken Sword's killers were. Who could tell what problems knowing this style could drag along?
By now, Sunny had also learned a plethora of various battle styles in the Dreamscape. However, none of them impressed him too much.
That meant that there was only one choice left. Coincidentally, he felt that it was the most fitting.
Saint's solid, grounded battle style.
It seemed to suit Rain's quiet, thoughtful, and meticulous personality very well. It was also the most precise and methodical technique Sunny knew, and one that provided the best defense. His goal was to ensure that Rain survives for as long as possible, and having a flawless defense went a long way if one wanted to not die.
More than that, his sister seemed to share a connection with Saint. If she was such a big fan of the graceful demon, perhaps there was a reason for that. In any case, learning the style of her idol would not be the worst thing in the world.
…Noticing that he was staring at her with a dark expression, Rain stopped and gave Sunny a questioning look.
"...What? Did I mess up?"
He slowly shook his head.
"No. Actually, your form was perfect for the last hundred strikes."
A wide, incredibly bright smile suddenly appeared on the teenage girl's usually calm and collected face.
"Aha! See! I practiced every day while you were gone on your trip. All my classmates think that I lost my mind. What do those fools even know!"
The corner of Sunny's mouth twitched.
'...Since when does she refer to people as fools? She was such a polite girl before… uh… before meeting me?'
Rain blinked a couple of times, then asked:
"But if I was doing it right, why were you staring at me with that "curses and damnation" expression of yours?"
'A what now?! I don't have a…'
Sunny cleared his throat.
"That… uh… I think that you're ready to learn more than one strike."
Rain beamed.
"Yes! Finally!"
She looked around the living room, and then said:
"So, are you going to show me some real battle techniques? Effie said that you are decent with the sword. At least I think that was what she meant. Are you?"
Sunny hesitated, then shrugged and stood up.
"Yeah. I do know my way around a sword. Let me just… actually, this place is too cramped. Follow me."
Turning around, he went toward the hallway and pressed on a certain wall panel, which then moved aside, revealing the doors of an elevator.
Rain stared at all that with a funny expression.
"Uh… you have a secret door in your house?"
Sunny smiled.
"Sure. Actually, I have two. One for the stairs, and one for the elevator."
The girl thought for a second, and then gave him an understanding nod.
"Ah. You have an underground shelter. That's smart… we don't have one in our home, since building it is very expensive."
He gave her a strange look.
"Aren't your parents rich?"
Rain laughed.
"For a wildly successful young entrepreneur, you don't know a lot about money, do you, Sunny? Sure, our family is not poor. But there's rich… and then there's rich. And we're not that kind of rich."
Sunny tilted his head, trying to make sense of what he had just heard.
'What the hell is that nonsense? Rich is rich… isn't it?'
He frowned.
"I know lots about money, kid! I know to make it, and how to spend it. What else is there to know?"
Rain stared at him for a few moments, and then silently shook her head.
Together, they entered the elevator and descended into the underground dojo.
Chapter 529: Secret Lair
The dojo was rather large and submerged in absolute darkness. Sunny gave the home a command, and immediately, bright light chased the darkness away, revealing the floor, walls, and ceiling that were covered by heavy plates of armored ceramic alloy.
Some of the plates already had cracks in them, which Sunny was painfully aware of… after all, those cracks had appeared as the result of Saint repeatedly slamming him against the floor. Simply looking at them made Sunny ache all over.
'I'm going to have to replace a few soon…'
He exited the elevator and walked over to a stand where various practice weapons were kept. These weapons were made out of reinforced synthetic materials to withstand the intensity of Awakened training, and had cost him a fortune. Sadly, Sunny had never even touched them, since training with the real deal was far more effective.
'Hm…'
Behind him, Rain walked into the dojo and looked around with curiosity. This space looked dark and mysterious, like a lair of a mythical monster.
"Do you come here a lot?"
Sunny gave her a short look.
"Of course, I do. This is where I sleep."
She was slightly surprised, but then seemed to understand the meaning of his answer.
For mundane humans, such a shelter would only be useful if a Gate opened nearby. But Awakened were more or less defenseless while in the Dream Realm. They needed the protection an underground bunker could provide much more, since their empty bodies could be easily destroyed when the spirit wandered away.
Her gaze traveled to the steel sarcophagus of the sleeping pod, and then moved past it. Suddenly, Rain's eyes brightened.
"Wow! Is that a Dreamscape pod?"
Sunny hesitated, surprised by her strong reaction.
"Uh… sure. Why?"
'My super expensive sleeping pod is much more impressive! Why is she so fascinated by that silly thing?'
The teenage girl walked over to the alcove with the two machines and studied one of them with excited curiosity. The luxurious, state-of-the-art sarcophagus received zero attention.
"Do you play often?"
He rolled his eyes, then shrugged.
"From time to time, I guess? When I have time. Dueling other Awakened helps with my own training."
Rain sighed with envy.
"That's cool. Some of my classmates have personal Dreamscape pods, too. They play the version for mundane humans, of course, but it still sounds amazing."
Sunny smiled.
"What, do you want to play?"
Rain looked at the pod for a few moments, then slowly shook her head. When she spoke, her voice sounded too mature for her age:
"No… not really. It's only fun with friends."
He frowned a little, then asked in a neutral tone:
"Why, don't you have any friends?"
The teenage girl sighed, then turned away from the capsule.
"No. I used to have a lot in my previous school, but after dad got me a spot in this one… uh, I just study and go home. People there are not... very friendly."
'That's one way to put it…'
Sunny looked at her, then smiled widely.
"Well, friends are overrated anyway! I never had any growing up, and look at me. Have I not turned out just fine?"
She did look at him, doubt clearly written on her face.
"Yeah… but…"
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"But what?"
Rain lingered for a few moments, then asked curiously:
"Don't you have a girlfriend?"
Sunny blinked.
'Huh?'
"Wait… what? What girlfriend? Don't tell me that you think that Effie and I…"
Rain giggled.
"Actually, I did think that at the start. So I asked Effie, and she told me that you already have a girlfriend."
Sunny's eye twitched.
'Damn Effie! I'm really going to kill her… better yet, I'll make Saint kill her! How many times will she repeat that stupid joke about us before realizing that it isn't funny? It wasn't funny the first time, and it's certainly not funny the hundredth!'
…He opened his mouth to retort angrily. However, Rain's next word made him fall silent.
"She said that you bring her flowers every week, and even visit her mom from time to time. I think it's very sweet."
Sunny froze, staring at the teenage girl with a heavy expression. Feeling that his reaction was a bit strange, Rain frowned.
"Uh… did I say something wrong?"
He lingered for a few moments, then turned away.
"No. Effie just likes to run her mouth sometimes. She shouldn't have told you that."
Not quite understanding what was happening, but feeling dark undertones in his voice, the teenage girl awkwardly smiled.
"Oh, did I just get Effie in trouble?"
Staring at the practice weapons, Sunny sighed.
"...No. It's just that… there is indeed a girl I bring flowers to when I can. But she isn't my girlfriend."
Rain glanced at him in confusion.
"But… uh… why do you bring her flowers, then?"
Sunny turned around and looked at her darkly. Rain suddenly shivered, realizing that she had never seen Sunny acting this… cold.
A few moments later, he said evenly:
"It's because I made it out of the Dream Realm, and she did not. Do you understand?"
The teenage girl thought for a few moments, then paled a little, and nodded.
Sunny shook his head.
"I don't think you do. And hopefully, you never will."
With that, he took a round shield and a straight practice sword off the wall, closed his eye for a moment, and then forced an easygoing smile to appear on his face.
"...Anyway, here's what you'll be training with from now on. They might be a bit heavy for you, but the weight will help you condition your body. What do you think?"
Still feeling a bit awkward, Rain took the weapons, weighed them in her hands, and cleared her throat.
"Uh… actually, I prefer ranged weapons. That's what I've been mostly using in school."
Sunny shook his head.
"Ranged weapons are wonderful, and you should definitely know how to use them. But they stop being wonderful as soon as a Nightmare Creature gets close to you, and believe me, they will. So you should learn melee combat first"
Rain looked at him with a bit of stubbornness.
"But Night from Nightingale is an archer, and he is a hero who has a True Name."
'Oh, gods… don't tell me that my little sister is his fangirl, too! Damned Kai... just you wait...'
Sunny stared at the teenage girl for a few moments, his expression unreadable. After a while, he said in a strange tone:
"Night from Nightingale can fly. Can you? In any case, learn how to use a sword first. If you do, I'll get him to personally teach you how to shoot a bow. How about that?"
Rain laughed.
"Yeah… sure! Why don't you invite him for dinner as well, while you're at it?"
After that, she covered her mouth with a palm and laughed even louder.
Sunny sighed heavily, then shook his head.
'This child… she's hopeless, isn't she?'
He waited until Rain stopped laughing, and then said sternly:
"Before we start, though, I am going to ask you a question."
She looked at him, turning back into her serious, studious self.
"Yeah?"
Sunny lingered for a few moments, and then asked:
"...What do you think the essence of combat is?"
Chapter 530: Something Better
Rain looked at him with a serious expression, thinking.
Inwardly, Sunny sighed.
He still didn't know how to change her mentality and make her vicious enough to survive the Dream Realm. He didn't even know if he wanted to, and if that was the right thing to do.
At least she seemed to understand a little bit more about the truth of the world after surviving the Gate opening. For now, that was going to have to be enough.
And this conversation was his attempt to make the lesson stick.
After a while, Rain said with uncertainty:
"Survival?"
Sunny raised an eyebrow, looking at her with surprise.
What were the chances that, despite their different life experiences, his sister would answer the question the same way he had, all that time ago, in the desolate hell of the Forgotten Shore?
He remained silent for a while, remembering those terrible, wonderful days. Then, he shook his head.
"No. The essence of combat is murder."
Rain shivered slightly.
"M—murder?"
Sunny nodded.
"Of course. What else would it be? You have to kill your enemy, or die. Either way, someone ends up murdered, and someone ends up as the murderer. So, the purpose of combat training is to make sure that you're the murderer. It is really that simple."
He paused, and then added:
"Survival is important, of course… but that can't be your primary goal. Such a goal is a terrible one to have. Even in life, it is not enough. You have to survive to continue living, but if you only live to survive, then what is even the point? More than that, if you don't strive for something bigger, something better, then you will only ever do what is required and nothing else. Which will make you weaker than those who want and dare to do more, and that weakness will cost you your life…"
His voice trailed off, and Sunny suddenly fell silent. Rain looked at him in confusion.
"Uh… Sunny?"
He blinked a couple of times.
"Yeah. Sorry. So…"
'Well, what do you know? I guess it's true what they say, the best way to learn is to teach…'
While trying to impart some wisdom, little as he had, on his attentive student, Sunny had accidentally stumbled on a truth about his own desperate desire to grow stronger. Everything Sunny had told Rain could be applied to himself. He had long ago abandoned his singular desire to survive at all cost, and now wanted much more.
But was his desire to live free and with dignity really comparable to Neph's passionate, immolating obsession? Would he really be able to surpass her while being driven by such a mundane goal?
That… gave Sunny a lot to think about.
He glanced at Rain, and then continued:
"...Mastery of combat can be divided into two aspects. Mastery of the body, and mastery of the mind. Your body can be trained through exercise, but your mind… is much more tricky. If you can understand the true essence of combat, however — truly grasp it with your very core — then you will have enough clarity to master the mind…"
***
Sunny spent some time explaining the fundamental laws of combat — at least to the extent that he himself understood them — to Rain. In the end, he wasn't sure that she really grasped the knowledge he wanted to share with her, but it was at least a start.
Thinking back to his own tumultuous education, Sunny couldn't really blame her. It was hard, or maybe even impossible, to really understand battle without experiencing it. He had met Nephis after surviving the First Nightmare and several days of fighting for his life on the Forgotten Shore. Even then, it had taken being nearly killed by a carapace centurion for him to reach the state of clarity.
There were no carapace centurions around, and Sunny certainly wasn't going to run her through with a sword.
So, for now, this was going to have to do.
After the verbal lesson, Sunny showed Rain a few basic stances and katas of Saint's style, and watch her struggle to replicate them. The progress was slow, but she was really a talented kid. For now, what held her back the most was her weak body.
But that was okay. One couldn't expect a teenage girl to be as strong as an Awakened. Her body could be trained… of course, Rain was never going to be as strong and resilient as a burly, able-bodied man.
But then, neither was Sunny. Due to his low stature and lean build, he couldn't compete with people like Caster or Master Roan in terms of physical might. However, this could be mitigated by Aspect Abilities, absorbing fragments, and mastering precise essence control.
What's more, sharp weapons were the great equalizer. The purpose of a weapon was to reduce the amount of force one needed to apply to deliver a lethal blow. Unless one planned to beat their enemy to death with their fists, technique and skill were much more important than pure strength.
And Saint's battle style could make that inherent disadvantage even slimmer.
…After a while, Sunny judged that Rain had enough. The girl seemed to be sufficiently exhausted, and pushing further would not do her any good. He gestured for her to stop and placed the practice weapons back on the stand, then summoned the Endless Spring and offered it to the tired girl.
Rain was breathing heavily, her pale face glistening with sweat. Noticing the beautiful glass bottle, she smiled with excitement.
"Wow! Is that a Memory?"
Sunny tilted his head a little.
"Sure… why are you asking?"
The girl grabbed the Endless Spring and studied it from all sides, then cautiously took a few sips.
"You don't get it! I've never seen a real Memory up close before. It… it feels so real!"
He stared at her in bewilderment.
"It is real. What are you talking about?"
Rain glanced at him with scorn, drank the water greedily, and then handed the Endless Spring back with a bit of reluctance.
"Did you get it after defeating some terrible monster? Or bought it?"
Sunny frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then said darkly:
"...It was a gift, actually."
She blinked a couple of times.
"Oh. From… from that friend of yours?"
He grimaced.
"No. Not from a friend."
Then, Sunny dismissed the Endless Spring and headed toward the elevator.
"Anyway, it's time for you to go. Otherwise, your parents might think that I have kidnapped you. Oh…"
He thought for a bit before saying:
"I, uh… I have some ice cream in the fridge. We can eat it before you go. If you want. Unless Effie had already devoured everything, of course."
Rain giggled, then followed him with a very pleased expression.
Before entering the elevator, she threw one last glance at the Dreamscape pod, and then suddenly asked:
"By the way, the Dream Tournament is in a few days. Are you participating?"
Sunny scoffed and pressed the button, sending the elevator up.
"Do I look like I have time to play with kids in a playground? I have real things to do, you know!"
Rain glanced at him, and sighed.
"Yeah, I get it. What a pity, though. I hear that the main prize this year are especially amazing. You wouldn't be able to win it, of course, but there are many smaller rewards."
Sunny's expression subtly changed.
As the doors opened, he looked at Rain, remained silent for a moment, and then asked in a very, very disinterested voice:
"Oh, really? There are prizes? Huh, how curious. What, uh… what kind of prizes are we talking about, exactly?"
Chapter 531: Dream Tournamet
Some time later, Sunny saw Rain out, watched as she walked away, and then calmly closed the door.
As soon as she did, however, his placid expression evaporated.
"What the hell! How come I didn't know about this?!"
Hastily taking out his communicator, he accessed the network and searched for information about the Dream Tournament.
A few minutes later, he sat down on a chair, a little stunned.
"What is this insanity?!"
Sunny knew, of course, that Dreamscape duels were a popular form of entertainment — both among the Awakened, who participated in them, and among the mundane humans, who followed their favorite duelists and created boisterous fan clubs.
However, he had no idea that even the Great Clans paid attention to the illusory game.
Apparently, the creator of the Dreamscape held a big tournament each year, and each year, one of the Great Clans — either Valor, Song, or Night — sponsored the prize pool. Participants who managed to achieve good results were able to receive cash prizes, Memories, and even Echoes.
The rewards for the finalists were especially generous, and came directly from the Great Clan's armory. They were also of the Ascended Rank.
Sunny trembled, his eyes burning with avarice.
'No, no… think about it rationally…'
The Great Clans were obviously after a straightforward goal — keep an eye on the rising talents among the unaffiliated Awakened. But did it matter? Sunny had already failed to keep his fake persona under the radar. Anyone who paid attention to Dreamscape had at least heard about Mongrel.
What was there to even think about?
'Free goodies! That's what it is!'
Completely forgetting about his previous disdain for the tournament, Sunny got completely absorbed by the prospect of receiving Memories free of charge. He was almost drooling.
And if free Memories weren't enough, there was another reason for why this tournament now seemed very alluring to him.
For the past months, Sunny had participated in hundreds of duels in various arenas. His goal was to absorb as many styles as possible, to reinforce the foundation of Shadow Dance and make it more efficient. This way, he hoped to achieve the next level of mastery over his elusive battle art.
Not all battle styles were made the same. Some were simple and straightforward, while others were complex and unique. The more unique a style was, the harder it was for Sunny to gain insight into its principles.
It was not like he had a magical ability to peer into the very essence of a style… this ability of his was more or less mundane, based on his own talent, mastery, and sensitivity to shadows.
So, he had been working diligently to create a sizable library of simpler styles, which would in turn improve his capacity to discern the patterns of more complicated ones with sufficient speed. After all, all styles were constructed out of the same basic elements. The more basic patterns he knew, the easier it was to understand various styles on the fly.
However, the quality of his opponents in the Dreamscape arenas was not that high… for obvious reasons. True talents had better things to do than play games. Most of them also belonged to Legacy clans, who lived by a different set of rules.
In the world of Legacies, strength and talent were not something to boast about. Renown only served to make the enemy aware of your weaknesses. In that regard, hidden tigers of the Legacy clans were very much like Sunny, remaining in the shadows until it was time to deliver a lethal strike.
That was why his progress had stalled lately. These days, the only worthy opponents he could find were a few rare eccentrics and a rare gem here and there, not nearly enough to satiate Mongrel's hunger for a variety of distinct battle styles.
What's more, at the highest levels of Awakened battle skill, styles were not only about physical movements and mindset anymore. They weaved unique patterns of essence control into the technique, too, which Sunny couldn't perceive and was only able to infer from indirect clues. Sadly, he wasn't exposed to a lot of opponents practicing such styles in the arenas.
…The tournament was going to change that, however. With the valuable prizes added into the mix, people who would usually not waste time in the Dreamscape were bound to show up, lured by the scent of rare Memories and Echoes. Even people from lesser Legacy clans would, without a doubt, be tempted to participate.
A powerful Ascended weapon or armor could change their lives, too.
So, Sunny could kill two birds with one stone. Compete for these prizes and enrich his library of styles at the same time.
'Forget it! I'd be a fool to miss this chance…'
Even knowing what a headache it would be to bring even more exposure to Mongrel, Sunny couldn't let such an opportunity go. Plus, he had some free time while Effie and Kai were traveling to the Chained Isles.
Scrolling through the feed, he started reading everything he could find about the upcoming tournament.
***
Several days later, Sunny locked the door of his house, descended into the basement, and approached the Dreamscape pod.
As soon as he entered the fake black void, the familiar pleasant voice greeted him:
"Welcome back to the Dreamscape, Challenger Mongrel!"
Sunny didn't pay attention to it and briefly looked at his status.
"Mongrel"
"Victories: 813"
"Defeats: 0"
With a quiet sneer, he turned to several images floating in the boundless darkness in front of him.
These were the arenas he had access to, and by now, there were significantly more of them than had been there at the start. Today, however, the list looked different.
The images of the arenas were pushed to the sides, and a new one appeared in the very middle. It was completely white, with a golden shape of an olive wreath depicted beneath two shining words:
"Dream Tournament"
Sunny lingered for a moment, summoned the Mantle of the Underworld and Weaver's Mask, and then stepped toward the image.
Chapter 532: Ancient Forest
The golden wreath disappeared, and Sunny found himself facing two new images. On one, a knight in a suit of polished armor was depicted holding a bloodied sword. On the other, a warrior in an archaic armor was shown standing back to back with the knight, a slender huntress drawing her bow behind them.
The pleasant voice announced:
"Challenger, select your dream."
Several words appeared above the images.
"Dream of Glory", "Dream of Camaraderie".
'What's with the bells and whistles…'
Sunny rolled his eyes.
The choice was very simple — one image was going to send him into the individual competition, while the other was meant for cohorts.
The Dream Tournament was basically two separate tournaments happening at the same time. This way, those Awakened who didn't have combat Aspects could also participate and earn rewards. It was a good system.
Sunny had no intention of searching for a cohort, so he simply chose the image of the lonely knight and closed his eyes.
Unlike the usual Dreamscape duels, the tournament included various battle modes. They were also broadcasted and happened at a schedule, so he had to wait for the first qualifier round to start.
Standing in the darkness, Sunny couldn't help but feel a little excited.
***
"Challenger! Draw your weapon and prepare! Only the best will survive!"
A bright light suddenly shone from above, and he found himself in the middle of a lush forest. All around him, ancient trees swayed lightly, their leaves rustling in the gentle wind.
Some distance away, a tranquil lake glistened in the sunlight, and from its clear waters, a breathtakingly beautiful castle rose into the sky. The castle was built out of grey stone and was as large as a city, its ancient walls scarred by a thousand sieges that it had withstood. Still, those scars could not diminish the ethereal beauty of the great fortress.
The arena was vast, and encompassed all of the forest. There was no other Awakened near Sunny, and for a good reason.
The qualifying rounds of the Dream Tournament were held in the form of a grand battle royale. A thousand challengers were sent into a large environment, and only the last one standing would be allowed to move on.
Depending on their performance, a few more people could also gain entry into the tournament… but the only concrete method to qualify was to be the sole survivor. This was a necessary measure implemented in the last few years because of the sheer amount of participants.
Arranging and broadcasting so many individual duels was not very practical… or profitable… especially considering that most of these Awakened were not very skilled. The battle royale was meant to weed out the weak and create an exciting show for the viewers.
Sunny knew this, of course, because he had done some research in the past couple of days.
…He didn't need the research to recognize where he was, though.
'Wow… it's even more beautiful in real life…'
Who didn't know Bastion?
This year, clan Valor sponsored the tournament, so the arena was designed to resemble the seat of their power, great Bastion — one of the three most populous human Citadels in the Dream Realm.
Sunny had never been to the ancient castle, but its image was ubiquitous in popular culture. He recognized it instantly.
'So… this must be the Lake of Bones, then.'
And all around him was the ancient, cursed forest that Anvil of Valor had destroyed.
These days, of course, the landscape surrounding Bastion was very different. Instead of a lush forest, it was surrounded by a sea of ash and charred remains of the dreaded titan, with human forts built here and there to repel powerful Nightmare Creatures from wandering close to the Citadel.
But thanks to the Dreamscape, Sunny got to enjoy the way this place had looked before, vibrant and pristine. The only difference was that there was no harrowing darkness hiding behind the veil of false tranquility.
'Ah. How nice.'
Compared to the Chained Isles, it was a nice change of pace.
Just as he thought that, the voice of the Dreamscape suddenly announced:
"Challenger Mongrel #19 was eliminated."
Sunny tilted his head.
'Well, that was fast. Also… what's up with that alias?"
Shaking his head, he commanded the Soul Serpent to assume the form of the odachi and calmly headed deeper into the forest.
It was time to start hunting...
***
On the official broadcast channel, the image of an eliminated player was shown briefly. Then, a rather lighthearted voice spoke:
"What a kill! Just a few seconds after the start, and we already have a casualty. Let's all wish Mongrel #19 better luck next year!"
An avatar of an exquisitely handsome young man appeared in the corner of the broadcast. Glancing at the camera with a bright smile, he continued:
"And so, the fifth annual Dream Tournament has begun! Yes, it's me, Syclus. Your favorite commentator and Nightmare Creature expert! Hold the applause, he-he. Guys, I have a big surprise for you. Guess who decided to join me in the commentator booth today?"
The young man paused, and then gestured to the other side of the screen, where an older man with sharp features, deep eyes, and a short beard appeared.
"That's right, you're not hallucinating! It's Dimi, the great loremaster and former Dream Champion! Give him a warm welcome!"
As a deluge of messages flooded the chat, the older man smiled.
"Hey, everyone."
Syclus, meanwhile, spoke again:
"We have a couple of minutes before the real action starts, since challengers need some time to find each other in this beautiful arena. So, while we wait, I have a couple of questions for Dimi."
He glanced at the broadcast, which switched between various Awakened traveling through the forest. Some of them were well-equipped and looked skilled, while others less so.
"First of all, this year we had a record number of fighters signing up for the tournament. What are your thoughts on that as a veteran Dreamscape duelist, Dimi?"
The older man smiled.
"It's nice to see more Awakened taking up the illusory sword. Some of them might even know how to use one! Of course, I have to give a lot of credit to the generosity of the Great Clan Valor. They have really outdone themselves with the prizes this year. No, I am not salty. Not at all!"
Syclus laughed, and then threw a mischievous glance at his colleague.
"Alright, then I'll ask you the question that I am sure is on everyone's mind. As an expert, who do you think will win the tournament... and why is it Mongrel?"
Chapter 533: Battle Royale
As soon as the commentator mentioned Mongrel, the feed changed to the image of a menacing figure in black armor calmly walking through the forest, the blade of the infamous odachi resting on its shoulder. The lightless pits of the demonic mask's eyes stared directly into the camera, as if there was nothing but darkness beneath it.
As soon as Mongrel appeared on the screens, the chat exploded.
"YES! It's Mongrel!"
"Hail to the Lord!"
"Huh? Who is Mongrel?"
"...You mean hail to the LADY?"
Dimi laughed.
"Ah, yes. This guy. Well, Mongrel is a really impressive fighter, but the results may not be as predictable as everyone thinks. Every year, the same thing happens — at the later stages of the tournament, two distinct groups clash. One is the Dreamscape elites, and the other is newcomers attracted by the rewards. Historically, the newcomers tend to do better."
He sighed and shook his head.
"Plus, we don't really know a lot about Mongrel. Sure, he has a very impressive track record, but most of his wins were achieved against random opponents. Who knows what will happen when he faces the best of the best? If I were to bet, my money is still on Queen Bee. If anyone has a chance against the newcomers, it should be her."
Syclus nodded a few times, expressing his enthusiastic agreement.
"Sure! But, still, returning to Mongrel. Everyone is dying to know who he really is under that scary mask. And if anyone knows anything about you, Dimi, they'll know that you must have your guesses…"
The older man smiled, his eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement.
"Funny you should ask! Actually, I do have a theory…"
***
"Challenger Lord Corvus was eliminated."
"Challenger Fry was eliminated."
"Challenger Erax was eliminated."
Sunny stared at the three corpses at his feet, which were already turning into a flood of white sparks. These three Awakened attacked him as a group, and while their skill was not bad and even admirable, he had no problem dispatching the trio in the span of a minute.
The fact that they had managed to remain alive for more than several seconds was already an excellent result, considering who their enemy was.
Flourishing the odachi in the air, Sunny shook the drops of blood off its blade and continued walking.
...Technically, he didn't have to clean his blade, since the blood was bound to turn into sparks of light and disappear, too. But that was already a habit of his... not to mention being extremely cool.
Truth be told, that short skirmish was not as easy as he had made it look. The Awakened were dangerous enemies, since each of them possessed a unique Aspect. They were cunning, resourceful, and unpredictable. That was why he had to act swiftly, making the fight appear much more brutal than it should have been.
Currently, Sunny wasn't using any of his shadows to augment himself. He had decided against it a long time ago, since being able to crush his opponents with brute force was detrimental to his main goal — polishing his battle technique and learning various styles.
So, the gloomy shadow was currently behaving like any normal shadow would, while the other two were wrapped around the Autumn Leaf — the Memory he used to change the color of his hair. Since it had no other purpose, the augmentation did not give him any advantage.
…His hair must have looked gorgeous, though.
Snickering under the mask, Sunny jogged forward. He was in a rush to eliminate as many other players as he could before the first leaderboard announcement was made.
Meeting the group of three allied Awakened reminded him of the inherent problem with the battle royale format of the qualifying rounds — as soon as true powerhouses revealed themselves, weaker participants were bound to band together and start hunting them down.
Very soon, there could be a dozen fighters launching a coordinated attack on him, or even more.
Sunny was confident of his skill, but not to that degree. Even for a battle-hardened veteran like him, someone who had spent hundreds of days fighting for his life in the darkest depths of the Dream Realm, such a fight would not be easy.
'This battle royale is going to be much more intense than I have expected…'
Before Sunny could finish this thought, an ancient tree next to him suddenly exploded into a cloud of splinters, and something sharp shot at him with incredible speed. Cursing, he dashed to the side and barely dodged out of the way.
The next moment, a giant arrow whistled past him and embedded itself into the trunk of another tree, its trembling shaft as long as he was tall.
Sunny rolled over his shoulder and glanced at the arrow, then lunged into a sprint.
'Curses! A sniper!'
A second later, another giant arrow fell from the sky, almost skewering him to the ground.
Sunny gritted his teeth and continued running.
***
On the countless screen, an image of a broad-shouldered young man was shown, drawing the string of an oversized bow. His mightly muscles strained, and when he released the string, a thunderous sound rolled down the slopes of a tall hill the archer was standing on.
Meanwhile, the two commentators were not paying him attention:
"...And so, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Mongrel is not, in fact, one of the Forgotten Shore survivors, but actually the son of the secret child of the legendary Nightwalker, the founder of the House of Night. Uh… well, this is my theory, anyway."
Syclus glanced at Dimi with a wide smile, and then turned the conversation back to the skirmishes in the ancient forest, which were starting to happen more frequently and grow in intensity.
"Is that so! Well, that secret grandchild seems to be in big trouble! Despite Mongrel's savage victory over the three other challengers, now he seems to be in the crosshairs of one of the newcomers you spoke about earlier. Let's take a look!"
The feed changed to the image of Mongrel running swiftly through the woods, dodging one giant arrow after another. His movements seemed steady and precise, as though he had a second pair of eyes at the back of his head.
Syclus glanced at the indifferent black mask and involuntary shivered.
"Wow! Look at that… what a commendable feat, to maintain calm and composure in such a tricky situation! It is almost as if Mongrel is not afraid of anything, not even being bombarded by a rain of enchanted arrows, each of them powerful enough to pierce a Fallen monster through! Truly, that man has nerves of steel. I wonder what he is thinking about right now…"
***
'What the hell?! How is this fair?! Crap! This is bad, this is so bad! I don't want to die so soon! What the Spell am I even supposed to do?!'
Panicking and sweating under the mask, Sunny dodged one arrow after another and cursed non-stop.
He had no idea who was shooting him, how they were able to aim through the thick canopy of the ancient trees, and where they were. All he could do was run, dodge, and pray to the dead gods that he survives this devastating barrage.
Luckily, a few moments later, he noticed a rock outcropping not too far away, with a deep ravine hiding behind it.
Dashing forward, he evaded another giant arrow and slid down the slope of the ravine. Reaching its bottom, he waded through the thick carpet of fallen leaves and pressed his back against the rocks, finally safe from the relentless sniper.
Only then could Sunny finally catch his breath and look around.
However, as soon as he did, a dark grimace appeared on his face.
'...Damnation!'
As fate would have it, he was not alone in the ravine.
Growling in frustration, Sunny gripped the hilt of the odachi and once again dodged.
A few moments later, the pleasant voice resounded over the ancient forest:
"...Challenger Agick was eliminated."
Chapter 534: Demonic Swordsman
Sunny remained in the ravine for a few minutes, considering his options and hoping that the unknown archer would have to shift to another target.
He had already revealed his ability to teleport during the Gate battle, but the quality of the recording hid the details of how he was able to do it. With the crystal clear picture of the Dream Tournament broadcast, though, Sunny couldn't risk using Shadow Step again. Even if he really, really wanted to...
Neither could he send his shadow to scout the position of the archer, which left him in a bind.
The best option would have been to stay hidden for a while, but luck was really not on his side today. Shortly after he had defeated the other Awakened taking shelter in the ravine, the sound of the rustling leaves subtly changed, and an ominous darkness suddenly moved between the roots of the ancient trees.
As more and more people were eliminated, the remaining challengers were bound to start having trouble finding new opponents in the vast arena. So, the arena was designed to grow smaller as time went by.
This year, it seemed, the players would be forced to move toward the center by the fact that the beautiful forest was slowly turning back to its true nature — that of a giant, abominable, flesh-devouring titan.
'Great! This is just goddamn great!'
Pushing off of the rocks, Sunny cursed and started climbing up the slope.
***
Some time later, full of annoyance and with sparks of light falling off his armor, he walked out of the cover of trees and entered a small clearing. There, an Awakened in a lustrous brass armor stood above the disintegrating corpses of two others, holding a heavy war hammer in his hands. A few steps away from him, another was bandaging a shallow cut on her forearm.
The man threw one glance at Sunny and rolled his eyes.
"Great! Another Mongrel impersonato…"
Before he could finish speaking, though, the blade of the odachi pierced his throat, sliding precisely between the lip of the brass breastplate and the bottom edge of the helmet.
As the body of the Awakened hit the ground, his partner looked at Sunny with wide eyes. A battle axe fell from her hands.
"Oh crap! You're… you're actually him!"
The girl turned around and tried to run, but before she could, Sunny was already upon her, ending her participation in the battle royale with one swift strike.
"Challenger Abel was eliminated."
"Challenger Wynne was eliminated."
Sunny sighed and remained motionless for a bit, resting.
…He was more than a little bit tired.
But the worst was still to come.
Suddenly, the sound of trumpets rolled across the ancient forest, and the pleasant voice of the Dreamscpae announced:
"Only five hundred challengers remain!"
"Bravest warriors are: Dar of the Maharana clan, seventy-eight kills; Fireshing, thirty-three kills; Mongrel, twenty-seven kills."
Sunny stared at the sky, the black mask hiding a grim expression on his face.
"Seventy-eigh kills… gee. Who is this monster?"
He had a hunch that he already knew. Defeating his own twenty-seven opponents had not been exactly time-consuming, but looking for them was. Who wouldn't need to waste precious minutes prowling the woods in search of enemies to kill, though?
A damned archer with a strange ability to sense his targets across vast distances and through any obstacle, perhaps?
'I need to step up my game, I guess.'
It wouldn't do for Lord Mongrel to lag behind some Legacy prince.
As if to answer his thoughts, a dozen figures suddenly appeared from behind the trees, surrounding him. These Awakened were armed with all kinds of weapons, looking at him with satisfied expressions. It seemed that they had planned this ambush really well… Sunny had nowhere to retreat, and no chance to escape.
And since the midway results had been announced just a few seconds ago, it was obvious that there was at least one person with some sort of clairvoyant Ability among them. Otherwise, no one was supposed to be able to pinpoint his location this early into the battle.
What else did this bastard know?
Sunny sighed.
One of the ambushers took a step forward and smiled.
"Sorry, Mongrel. All of us here really respect you, especially after you risked your life to hold that Gate. But those Valor weapons are just too sweet, and we need to think about ourselves. No hard feelings… right?"
The menacing figure in black armor stared at the young man for a few moments, and then an elusive, but strangely familiar voice resounded from beneath the fearsome mask:
"...None whatsoever."
Inwardly, though, Sunny was not at all calm.
'Bastards! Lowlifes! Scoundrels! Twelve against one?! Where is your shame, thugs?! Come here then, you damned cowards! I'm gonna kill you, and then your grandmas!"
Just a moment later, the ambushers obliged. All kinds of Aspect Abilities activated at once, turning the small clearing into a furious storm of deadly elements and steel.
'...Oh crap!'
***
"Oh no! It seems like Mongrel is in trouble!"
Syclus glanced at the sea of outraged comments, and then back to the broadcast. Both he and Dimi were glued to the screen, even forgetting to do their job and fill the silence with informative or entertaining chatter.
The scene in front of them was just too… terrifying.
Just a moment ago, they saw a lone figure in black armor standing motionlessly in the center of a bright clearing, staring at the twelve ambushers surrounding him with cold indifference. Mongrel's voice sounded from the speakers, strangely dark and ethereal:
"...None whatsoever."
And then, everything exploded in a brutal symphony of violence. The ambushers attacked without wasting even a second, their assault deadly and well-coordinated.
Syclus held his breath.
'Come on, Mongrel! Use your spatial Aspect!'
From what he could see, this was the only chance the demonic swordsman had to escape.
However, as a fan himself, Syclus knew that Mongrel never used his Aspect in the Dreamscape, as if it was somehow beneath him. Mongrel only ever relied on his sword, his skill, and unadulterated technique.
'Such dignity…'
And this time, too, the mysterious warrior refused to compromise his unassailable, noble principles. Instead of activating his Ability, he simply lunged at the enemies without fear or doubt.
Then, something strange happened. His infamous odachi suddenly turned into a stream of impenetrably dark, liquid metal and flowed onto his arm, soon turning into a round shield. With that shield, Mongrel deflected an incoming javelin, then twisted his body, dodging a hail of razor-sharp windblades, and dove into an immolating stream of fire that one of the Awakened breathed out of her mouth.
…Miraculously, he emerged on the other side unscathed, like an infernal monster that could not be burned even in the flames of hell. The black armor reflected the crimson flames, somehow becoming even more menacing.
In the next second, Mongrel's spiked gauntlet connected with the face of one of the ambushers.
It was as if the poor man was hit by a mountain. His skull caved, and then exploded, the lifeless body folding as it flew to the side and turned into a rain of sparks.
What happened next could only be described as pure carnage.
The black figure pounced on the ambushers, using both his gauntleted fist and his round shield to sow devastation among their ranks. Mongrel moved with terrifying speed and devious cunning, using the bodies of his enemies to block or prevent attacks from their comrades. Syclus wasn't sure, but he thought that he saw a couple of them die from friendly fire.
The rest fell to the demonic butcher himself, though. Every move Mongrel made was precise, calculated, and deadly… but also brutal and utterly cruel. He danced among his enemies like a grim reaper, killing them one after another without showing any sign of even knowing what mercy or hesitation were. Blood, screams, and flashes of light filled the clearing for a good couple of minutes.
And when it was all over, the lone black figure was left standing alone amidst the bodies, covered in blood from head to toe. A moment later, that blood turned into sparks of light, too, and awash in light, Mongrel stepped forward, his armor as black as pristine as ever.
Syclus remained silent for a few moments, and then said hoarsely:
"Hey, Dimi… Did Mongrel just… slaughtered twelve Awakened solo?"
The older man cleared his throat.
"That, uh… you know, I might rethink my bet. Actually, my money is on that man."
His colleague blinked a couple of times. After that, he glanced at the comments and forced out a smile.
"...Is he even a man, though?"
***
Meanwhile, Sunny was on the verge of collapsing onto the ground.
'Argh! Everything hurts! What the hell, why is this stupid battle royale so intense?! I almost sullied my pants!'
That battle… hell, it was too close. He barely managed to survive, and had only prevailed because the twelve Awakened were clearly not a real cohort. They were experienced enough to coordinate their physical attacks, but when varied and unique Aspect Abilities had come into play, all their cohesion turned into pure havoc.
He had used that confusion to quickly get rid of the most dangerous opponents, and then somehow cleaned up the rest. The Mantle of the Underworld still took several solid hits… the armor itself held, but his body beneath was bruised and battered.
'Are these damn rewards even worth it? Damn, they'd better be!'
Suppressing a pained groan, he willed the Soul Serpent to turn back into an odachi, and headed away from the clearing.
'Just five hundred... four hundred and eighty-eight left. This is going to be a long day...'