Kane's heart leaped, skipping a beat as Sunny's shriek pierced the silence. "Another monster?" he thought, fear and urgency propelling him forward. He sprinted toward the sound, but as quickly as it began, the shriek ended, leaving an unnerving silence in its wake. Climbing higher, Kane's eyes landed on an immense bird's nest, unlike anything he'd ever seen. It was spherical, not woven from grass and twigs, but from the gnarled, onyx-black branches of the great tree itself. Each branch, as thick as a man's arm, was twisted and interwoven into a chaotic yet impenetrable wall, creating a seamless, dark sphere.
From within this strange structure, Sunny's voice finally emerged. Kane scrambled inside, his gaze immediately falling upon Sunny, who sat amidst the dark branches, his fists clenched. Concern etched on Kane's face, he spoke, "Sunny, are you okay? I heard you shriek. What happened?"
Without waiting for an answer, Kane activated his Aspect, delving into Sunny's mind. He sensed a faint mental shield, a subtle resistance that weakened the tree's insidious control. It was there, but significantly weaker than he'd expected.
"Nothing," Sunny replied, his voice flat. "Just killed a Great Devil."
Kane gasped, his eyes falling on a shattered eggshell beside Sunny. "What kind of bird lays an egg that hatches into a Great Devil?" he wondered, a strange mixture of awe and disbelief swirling within him. Trying to lighten the mood, Kane couldn't resist a half-joking query, "So, how was the omelet?"
Sunny's eyes widened for a fleeting moment before he uttered, "It was painful." He was about to elaborate when Kane interjected, "Actually, I have some important things to tell you."
As Kane recounted his harrowing experiences, carefully omitting any mention of his own Flaw, Sunny's eyes widened further with each detail. "I only just pieced it together from Cassie's 'Five' warning and your 'threads'," Sunny said, his voice laced with urgency. "But hearing it all laid out... we need to escape as soon as possible."
Kane nodded in agreement. The grim reality of their situation had become undeniably clear. They had to find Cassie.
On their way to Cassie, Sunny shared a crucial piece of information: there was a fifth attribute, one he couldn't perceive. Kane instantly recalled the sharp pain he'd experienced trying to decipher something similar. The revelation added another layer of complexity to the omnipresent threat.
They soon reached Cassie, finding her asleep. Kane's gaze softened; she was curled up like a panda, an extinct animal he'd only read about. Her blindfold was barely askew, her eyelids gently closed, and her blonde hair had grown considerably, framing her peaceful face. "How... beautiful," Kane thought, a quiet admiration stirring within him.
Sunny gently shook Cassie by the shoulders, waking her. As Kane switched his Aspect to examine her mind, his heart clenched. What he saw was far worse than anything he had anticipated. Cassie's mind was ensnared by multiple tentacles of the tree, and countless tiny threads crisscrossed her consciousness. The sheer density of them was overwhelming; even attempting to operate on her would cause her mind to collapse entirely. "Cassie... is dying," Kane realized, a pang of loss echoing in his chest. The idea of losing a comrade, someone he considered a close friend, was a bitter pill to swallow.
After Sunny spoke briefly with Cassie, she drifted back into a baby-like slumber. "There's an attribute," Sunny confirmed, his voice low. "Cassie was able to read it."
"Sunny..." Kane began, his voice heavy with the grim truth. "Cassie is dying."
Sunny's face contorted, a mixture of shock and searing hatred for the insidious tree. "Then we'd better come up with a plan," he declared, his jaw tight. "Let's meet with Neph and discuss it."
"Before that," Kane interjected, "it's better to perform a surgery on your mind to eliminate it completely." Sunny's eyes widened, and he struggled to find an excuse. But after a moment, Kane managed to convince him, explaining that he couldn't read Sunny's thoughts and that the procedure would be relatively painless. Sunny eventually agreed. After successfully operating on Sunny's mind – a procedure Kane would later realize had also freed Sunny due to the protective nature of his armor – they immediately set off to find Nephis.
They found Nephis, and the changes in her were stark. Her silver hair, once short and meticulously parted, now hung long and messy, devoid of its usual luster. Changing Star's face seemed much thinner, marked by dark circles under her eyes and a bleak, dull expression. Her characteristic confidence and energy had vanished, replaced by an exhausted stillness. She looked as though some unseen illness was consuming her from within, slowly transforming the once radiant girl into a pale shadow of her former self.
Kane instinctively understood the cause. He had long known that Nephis harbored a mysterious, terrifyingly strong goal. Her burning desire to achieve it, he realized, was powerful enough to resist even the insidious temptation of the Soul Devourer. However, while her core feelings persisted, the actual memories connected to them were gone. Nephis was left with a desperate longing for something she couldn't name, unable to understand or satisfy the profound emotions that gnawed at her. This internal conflict, Kane now understood, was the root of her terrible state. 'What exactly is her endgame, Kane wondered, 'to be that determined?'
Using his Aspect, Kane confirmed that Nephis's mental state, while severe, wasn't as immediately perilous as Cassie's. "Her mind is worse, but not as bad as Cassie's," Kane explained to Sunny. "I can disable it temporarily, but we'll need to find a way to convince her to cooperate." Sunny nodded, and together, they quickly hatched a plan.
Sunny immediately approached Nephis. "Hey, Neph," he greeted.
Nephis turned, her dull eyes meeting his. "Sunny? What is it?"
"Stay still," Sunny instructed.
Nephis froze, unmoving. Sunny didn't hesitate, jumping on her and holding her tightly. Nephis's expression remained unchanged, but she began to resist. This was Kane's cue. He sprang forward, swiftly cutting the tree's tentacles that had ensnared her mind. Nephis was freed, though only temporarily.
"What... did you guys... do?" Nephis asked, her voice flat.
Sunny immediately released her. Kane then began to explain everything he had learned about the insidious tree and the dire state of Cassie's mind. Nephis's expression didn't waver. "I see," she simply stated.
Sunny blinked, dumbfounded. "I see? I see?! That's all you have to say?!"
She glanced at Sunny, a dark, unsettling smile touching her lips. "What do you want me to say?"
Sunny gaped at her, clenching his fists. "Wow! How horrible! Good job, Sunny! Say something, at least! Is it so hard to behave like a human?!"
Kane interjected, "She's inexpressive. Look how she smiled, like a scavenger." Nephis turned towards Kane, shooting him a look. Her face remained impassive, but Kane sensed that she did not appreciate the comparison.
"What should we do?" Kane asked, bringing them back to the pressing matter. "Set sail, or travel by foot?"
Finally, Nephis looked at the retreating dark sea. "We need to build a boat," she declared.
Sunny blinked again. "What?"
Changing Star sighed, turning her face to look at him. "From what Kane said, that seems to be the most viable option."
Kane considered this. The dark sea was still dangerous, but so was traveling by foot. "There's no high ground to the west," he mused inwardly. "If we get stuck there, it's over." He sighed, then spoke aloud, "Actually, that's a better option."
Sunny looked at him in disbelief. "You're agreeing with her? When did this happen?"
"Because if we walk by foot," Kane explained, "we'll get stuck by the dark sea since there's no high ground to the west from here on."
Nephis then elaborated on her reasoning: "But if we build a boat and use Cassie's staff to fill the sail with wind… maybe we'll be eaten by the dwellers of the depths, or maybe they won't pay us any attention at all. It's a gamble either way. Either we die, which is the same as returning to the labyrinth, or not. If we survive, we'll be able to travel a hundred, maybe even two hundred kilometers in one night. That's more distance than we've covered so far."
"Does either of you know how to build a boat?" Kane asked, practicality overriding everything else.
"I do," Nephis replied.
As Kane was about to speak further, ethereal tentacles began to emerge, reaching for Nephis. It was a clear sign that her temporary lucidity was fading. "Nephis," Kane urged, his voice urgent, "you're going to forget this soon, so how should we convince you to help us?"
"Like a Key word," Sunny quickly suggested.
Nephis looked at both of them, visibly struggling to cling to the last shreds of her clarity. For a brief moment, her eyes became piercingly clear again. White flames ignited in their depths, illuminating her pale, beautiful face. Her voice, though strained, held an undeniable command:
"Aster... Song... Vale. Say those words to me, and I will listen."
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It is a short chapter,Kindly read it
Hey Guys,Here is the Updated Lineages you Shall Cast your Vote
1.Weaver
2.Demon of Repose
3.Demon of Imagination
4.Ariel
5.Nether
6.Demon of Oblivion
7.Hope(Demon of Desire)
After deep thinking,I think Nether's Lineage can given to Kane,It seems to suit him.Most people are saying Demon of Imagination to become like Adam(LOTM) but It seems off,Moreover Female lead is already to be decided be Audrey Hall,who will have similar role,So lets give her a room right.Or else:
1.Cassie
2.Audrey Hall
.Kindly cast your vote and give advice.The lineage will be percieved not as a whole but parts like weaver lineage is treated in shadow slave